Project description:The genus Lopadostoma (Xylariaceae, Xylariales) is revised. Most species formerly assigned to Lopadostoma do not belong to the genus. Twelve species are herein recognised, of which two are only known from morphology. Ten species, of which six (L. americanum, L. fagi, L. insulare, L. lechatii, L. meridionale and L. quercicola) are newly described, are characterised by both morphology and DNA phylogeny using LSU, ITS and rpb2 sequences. Morphologically, ecologically and phylogenetically Lopadostoma is a well-defined genus comprising exclusively species with pustular pseudostroma development in bark of angiospermous trees. Phaeosperma ailanthi, Phaeosperma dryophilum and Sphaeria linosperma are combined in Lopadostoma. Lopadostoma gastrinum is neotypified and L. turgidum is lecto- and epitypified. Species with asci and ascospores similar to those of Lopadostoma but having perithecia immersed in wood, particularly those of Lopadostoma subg. Anthostomopsis have been determined to be unrelated to the genus. DNA data confirm that Anthostoma is unrelated to Lopadostoma. Its type and currently only confirmed species Anthostoma decipiens belongs to Diatrypaceae. DNA data also show that L. pouzarii and Barrmaelia macrospora are unrelated to Lopadostoma. A commentary is provided for names in Lopadostoma and those names in Anthostoma that may be putative species of Lopadostoma based on their protologues. Anthostoma insidiosum is an older name for Anthostomella (Diatrype) adusta.
Project description:Species belonging to Penicillium section Aspergilloides have a world-wide distribution with P. glabrum, P. spinulosum and P. thomii the most well-known species of this section. These species occur commonly and can be isolated from many substrates including soil, food, bark and indoor environments. The taxonomy of these species has been investigated several times using various techniques, but species delimitation remains difficult. In the present study, 349 strains belonging to section Aspergilloides were subjected to multilocus molecular phylogenetic analyses using partial ?-tubulin (BenA), calmodulin (CaM) and RNA polymerase II second largest subunit (RPB2) sequences. Section Aspergilloides is subdivided into 12 clades and 51 species. Twenty-five species are described here as new and P. yezoense, a species originally described without a Latin diagnosis, is validated. Species belonging to section Aspergilloides are phenotypically similar and most have monoverticillate conidiophores and grow moderately or quickly on agar media. The most important characters to distinguish these species were colony sizes on agar media, growth at 30 °C, ornamentation and shape of conidia, sclerotium production and stipe roughness.
Project description:Some pathogen-derived effectors reprogram mRNA splicing in their host plant to regulate plant immune responses. The fungus Exserohilum turcicum is the causal agent of northern corn leaf blight, a damaging maize (Zea mays) disease. However, the low efficiency of genetic transformation of E. turcicum has hampered research on its effectors and whether E. turcicum effectors interfere with RNA splicing remained unknown. Here, using an alternative splicing (AS) reporter system, we identified the secreted protein EtEC81 (Exserohilum turcicum effector 81), which modulates the AS of maize pre-mRNAs and negatively regulates the pathogenicity of E. turcicum. EtEC81 physically interacts with EtEC81-interactiNG protein 1 (ZmEIP1), which associates with maize spliceosome components, regulating AS and positively regulating the defense response against E. turcicum. EtEC81 binding further enhanced the effect of ZmEIP1 on AS. Transcriptome analysis revealed 119 common genes with altered AS in maize plants transiently overexpressing ZmEIP1 or EtEC81, suggesting that these factors cause the mis-regulation of cellular activities and thus induce immune responses. We used RT-qPCR to verify representative AS events in the plants transiently overexpressing ZmEIP1 and EtEC81. Together, our results suggest that the EtEC81 effector targets ZmEIP1 to reprogram pre-mRNA splicing in maize.