Mortierellaceae from subalpine and alpine habitats: new species of Entomortierella, Linnemannia, Mortierella, Podila and Tyroliella gen. nov.

Fungi are incredibly diverse, but they are unexplored, especially in the subalpine and alpine zone. Mortierellaceae are certainly one of the most abundant, species-rich, and widely distributed cultivable soil fungal families in terrestrial habitats, including subalpine and alpine zones. The phylogeny of Mortierellaceae was recently resolved based on current state of the art molecular techniques, and the paraphyletic genus Mortierella sensu lato (s.l.) was divided into 13 monophyletic genera. Our extensive sampling campaigns in the Austrian Alps resulted in 139 different Mortierellaceae pure culture isolates representing 13 new species. For the definition of taxa, we applied both classical morphological criteria, as well as modern DNA-based methods. Phylogenetic relationships were resolved based on the ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer (rDNA ITS), the large subunit (LSU), and the DNA-directed RNA polymerase II largest subunit 1 (RPB1). In this study, we proposed a new genus and described 13 new species belonging to the genera Entomortierella, Linnemannia, Mortierella and Podila. In addition, we proposed eight new combinations, re-defined E. jenkinii at species level, defined a neotype for M. alpina and lecto- as well as epitypes for M. fatshederae, M. jenkinii, and M. longigemmata. The rDNA ITS region is generally applied as classical barcoding gene for fungi. However, the obtained phylogenetic resolution is often too low for an accurate identification of closely related species of Mortierellaceae, especially for small sampling sizes. In such cases, unambiguous identification can be obtained based on morphological characters of pure culture isolates. Therefore, we also provide dichotomous keys for species identification within phylogenetic lineages. Taxonomic novelties: new genus: Tyroliella Telagathoti, Probst & Peintner; New species: Entomortierella galaxiae Telagathoti, M. Probst & Peintner, Linnemannia bainierella Telagathoti, M. Probst & Peintner, Linnemannia stellaris Telagathoti, M. Probst & Peintner, Linnemannia nimbosa Telagathoti, M. Probst & Peintner, Linnemannia mannui Telagathoti, M. Probst & Peintner, Linnemannia friederikiana Telagathoti, M. Probst & Peintner, Linnemannia scordiella Telagathoti, M. Probst & Peintner, Linnemannia solitaria Telagathoti, M. Probst & Peintner, Mortierella triangularis Telagathoti, M. Probst & Peintner, Mortierella lapis Telagathoti, M. Probst & Peintner, Podila himami Telagathoti, M. Probst & Peintner, Podila occulta Telagathoti, M. Probst & Peintner, Tyroliella animus-liberi Telagathoti, Probst & Peintner; New combinations: Entomortierella basiparvispora (W. Gams & Grinb.) Telagathoti, M. Probst & Peintner, Entomortierella jenkinii (A.L. Sm.) Telagathoti, M. Probst & Peintner; Entomortierella sugadairana (Y. Takash. et al.) Telagathoti, M. Probst & Peintner, Linnemannia zonata (Linnem. ex W. Gams) Telagathoti, M. Probst & Peintner, Linnemannia fluviae (Hyang B. Lee et al.) Telagathoti, M. Probst & Peintner, Linnemannia biramosa (Tiegh.) Telagathoti, M. Probst & Peintner, Linnemannia cogitans (Degawa) Telagathoti, M. Probst & Peintner, Tyroliella pseudozygospora (W. Gams & Carreiro) Telagathoti, M. Probst & Peintner; Epitypifications (basionyms): Mortierella bainieri var. jenkinii A.L. Sm., Mortierella fatshederae Linnem., Mortierella longigemmata Linnem. Neotypification (basionym): Mortierella alpina Peyronel. Citation: Telagathoti A, Probst M, Mandolini E, Peintner U (2022). Mortierellaceae from subalpine and alpine habitats: new species of Entomortierella, Linnemannia, Mortierella, Podila and Tyroliella gen. nov. Studies in Mycology 103: 25-58. doi: 10.3114/sim.2022.103.02.

Cortinarius subgenus Leprocybe, unexpected diversity and significant differences in species compositions between western and eastern North America.

The focus of this paper is the North American species of Cortinarius in subg. Leprocybe. Eighteen species, including twelve new ones, and two tentative (aff.) species, are delimited based on morphological and molecular data (DNA ITS-LSU sequences). Existing type specimens of species in subg. Leprocybe were also studied, and neo- or epitypes designated for C. cotoneus, C. melanotus, C. phrygianus and C. venetus to stabilize the nomenclature. In addition, to improve the infrasubgeneric classification of Leprocybe three new sections are proposed: sect. Fuscotomentosi, sect. Melanoti and sect. Squamiveneti. This study adds substantial information to the knowledge of subg. Leprocybe in North America against a background of European species. To date only two species, C. phrygianus and C. squamivenetus have been reported from both continents. Citation: Ammirati J, Liimatainen K, Bojantchev D, et al. 2021. Cortinarius subgenus Leprocybe, unexpected diversity and significant differences in species compositions between western and eastern North America. Persoonia 46: 216-239. https://doi.org/10.3767/persoonia.2021.46.08.

Biodiversity and concentration of airborne fungi in a hospital environment.

The biodiversity and concentration of airborne fungi were monitored over a period of 6 months in a special-care unit of a hospital. Air sampling was performed in a corridor that was also accessible to visitors and in an adjacent bone-marrow transplantation (BMT) unit using an air sampler and two isolation media. Altogether, 98 fungal species could be identified, among them Aspergillus fumigatus and A. terreus as well as 48 other species reported as potential pathogens. The average contamination values of the corridor air ranged from 124 to 485 cfu m-3. Neither the degree of fungal air contamination nor the species composition inside the special care unit differed from those found in the corridor. By means of data obtained with a light-activated sensor, a possible influence of human activities on diurnal changes of fungal propagule concentration was shown.

Multiple origins of sequestrate fungi related to Cortinarius (Cortinariaceae).

The aim of the present study was to investigate the phylogeny and evolution of sequestrate fungi (with gastroid or partially exposed basidiomes) in relation to their gilled relatives from the Cortinariaceae (Basidiomycetes). Phylogenetic analyses of 151 ITS sequences from 77 gilled species and 37 sequestrate taxa were performed using maximum parsimony and maximum likelihood methods. Results show that sequestrate basidiome forms occur in all three major ectomycorrhizal lineages of Cortinariaceae: the clades Cortinarius, Hebeloma/Hymenogaster/Naucoria, and Descolea. However, these forms do not appear within the saprobic outgroup Gymnopilus, indicating multiple origins of sequestrate forms from ectomycorrhizal ancestors. Additionally, within the Cortinarius clade sequestrate forms have multiple origins: emergent Cortinarius spp., Thaxterogaster, Quadrispora, Protoglossum, and two Hymenogaster spp. (H. remyi, H. sublilacinus) share common ancestors with Cortinarius spp., but these sequestrate genera are not closely related to each other (with exception of Thaxterogaster and Quadrispora). Hymenogaster sensu stricto, Setchelliogaster, and Descomyces were placed in the two other major clades. Thus, sequestrate taxa evolved independently many times within brown-spored Agaricales. Furthermore, emergent, secotioid, and gastroid forms have evolved independently from each other, and so are not necessarily intermediate forms. After their establishment, these apparently morphologically stable taxa show a tendency to radiate.

The mycobiota of speck, a traditional Tyrolean smoked and cured ham.

Speck is a ham specialty product traditionally produced in South Tyrol (Italy) and North Tyrol (Austria) by farmers, butcheries, and meat industries. To date, nothing has been learned about fungi associated with this smoked and cured meat. Therefore, it was the main objective of this study to assess the typical mycobiota of Speck in relation to the different production types and the geographic provenance. A total of 121 Speck samples from North Tyrol and South Tyrol was analyzed. From 63 isolated fungal species, only a few can be regarded as typical colonizers: Eurotium rubrum and Penicillium solitum were the dominating species in all types and parts of Speck (crust, meat, and fat). Eight other Penicillium spp. were relatively frequent. The species diversity increased from industrially produced Speck to products from butcheries and farmers, and it was higher in all types of South Tyrolean products. Among the typical mycobiota, Penicillium verrucosum, Penicillium canescens, and Penicillium commune are known as potentially mycotoxigenic.