Three New Species of Penicillium from East and Northeast China.

Penicillium species are ubiquitous in the environment and are of substantial importance, especially in industrial and medical aspects. During our investigation of the biodiversity of Penicillium, three new species were discovered in soil samples collected from East and Northeast China. They were determined as new to science based on morphological comparisons and phylogenetic analyses, and were found to belong to the subgenus Penicillium section Robsamsonia and subgenus Aspergilloides sections Aspergilloides and Citrina. Descriptions and illustrations of these species are provided, and their geographic distributions are also discussed.

Draft genome sequence and comparative genomic analysis of Penicillium pancosmium MUM 23.27 isolated from raw honey.

The draft genome sequence and main genomic features of Penicillium pancosmium MUM 23.27, isolated from Portuguese raw honey are reported. The genome size is 34.82 Mb, containing a 48.99% GC content, 11,394 genes, with 39 rRNAs and 147 tRNAs/tmRNAs. Twenty-six BGCs were predicted with four exhibiting significant similarities with YWA1, chaetoglobosin A/chaetoglobosin C, squalestatin S1, and nidulanin A. Moreover, the whole-genome sequencing and in silico genomic analysis, allowed to further understand some aspects of this species habitat, resistance, and evolutionary genomic events. Altogether, the results obtained also allow to dwell deeper on particular Penicillia biological characteristics and genomic traits, permitting them to thrive in these honey substrates. In addition, this resource represents the first genome for the species and one of the first for raw honeys filamentous fungi.

Species Diversity of Penicillium in Southwest China with Discovery of Forty-Three New Species.

Penicillium species are ubiquitous in all kinds of environments, and they are of industrial, agricultural and clinical importance. In this study, soil fungal diversity in Southwestern China was investigated, and that of Penicillium turned out to be unexpectedly high. The survey included a total of 179 cultures of the genus isolated from 33 soil samples. Three-locus phylogenetic analyses and morphological comparisons were carried out. The examinations revealed that they belonged to two subgenera (Aspergilloides and Penicillium), 11 sections (Aspergilloides, Canescentia, Citrina, Exilicaulis, Fasciculata, Gracilenta, Lanata-Divaricata, Penicillium, Ramosum, Robsamsonia, and Sclerotiorum), 25 series, and 74 species. Forty-three species were discovered as new to science, and a new series, Simianshanica, was established in sect. Aspergilloides. Additionally, 11 species were recorded for the first time in China. Species isolation frequency and distribution of the group were also discussed.

A New Species and Five New Records of Talaromyces (Eurotiales, Aspergillaceae) Belonging to Section Talaromyces in Korea.

Talaromyces is a genus within the phylum Ascomycota (class Eurotiomycetes, order Eurotiales, family Trichocomaceae). Many species in this genus are known to produce diverse secondary metabolites with great potential for agricultural, medical, and pharmaceutical applications. During a survey on fungal diversity in the genus Talaromyces in Korea, six strains were isolated from soil, indoor air, and freshwater environments. Based on morphological, physiological, and multi-locus (ITS, BenA, CaM, and RPB2) phylogenetic analyses, we identified five previously unrecorded species in Korea (T. brevis, T. fusiformis, T. muroii, T. ruber, and T. soli) and a new species (T. echinulatus sp. nov.) belonging to section Talaromyces. Herein, detailed descriptions, illustrations, and phylogenetic tree are provided.

A Polyphasic Approach including Whole Genome Sequencing Reveals Paecilomyces paravariotii sp. nov. as a Cryptic Sister Species to P. variotii.

Whole genome sequencing is rapidly increasing phylogenetic resolution across many groups of fungi. To improve sequencing coverage in the genus Paecilomyces (Eurotiales), we report nine new Paecilomyces genomes representing five different species. Phylogenetic comparison between these genomes and those reported previously showed that Paecilomyces paravariotii is a distinct species from its close relative P. variotii. The independence of P. paravariotii is supported by analysis of overall gene identify (via BLAST), differences in secondary metabolism and an inability to form ascomata when paired with a fertile P. variotii strain of opposite mating type. Furthermore, whole genome sequencing resolves the P. formosus clade into three separate species, one of which lacked a valid name that is now provided.

Along the footpath of Penicillium discovery: Six new species from the Woodville Big Tree Forest Trail.

In this study, we studied the diversity of Penicillium occurring in soil collected along the Woodville Big Tree Forest Trail situated close to the coastal town of Wilderness in South Africa. Strains were accessioned into a collection and then identified to species based on ß-tubulin DNA sequences, which is the recommended DNA barcode for the genus. The 74 strains were found to represent 18 species, including six we consider undescribed. Here, we introduce them as Penicillium claroviride, P. kalander, P. mattheeae, P. outeniquaense, P. subfuscum, and P. umkhoba. Phylogenetic comparisons were made, and genealogical concordance was demonstrated for these new species using DNA sequences from nuc rDNA internal transcribed spacer region ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 (ITS barcode), ß-tubulin, calmodulin, and RNA polymerase II second largest subunit. Notes on morphological characters distinguishing the new species from their close relatives are provided.

Additions to the Knowledge of the Fungal Order Eurotiales in Korea: Eight Undescribed Species.

Eurotiales is a relatively large order of Ascomycetes, well-known for their ability to produce secondary metabolites with potential beneficial applications. To understand their diversity and distribution, different environmental sources including soil, freshwater, insect, and indoor air were investigated. Eight strains of Eurotiales were isolated and identified based on their morphological characters and a multi-gene phylogenetic analysis of the ITS, BenA, CaM, and RPB2 regions. We identified eight taxa that were previously not reported from Korea: Aspergillus baeticus, A. griseoaurantiacus, A. spinulosporus, Penicillium anthracinoglaciei, P. labradorum, P. nalgiovense, Talaromyces atroroseus, and T. georgiensis. Detailed descriptions, illustrations, and phylogenetic tree for the eight new records species are presented, and information regarding the records is also discussed.

Four New Species of Aspergillus Subgenus Nidulantes from China.

Aspergillus subgenus Nidulantes includes species with emericella-like ascomata and asexual species. Subgenus Nidulantes is the second largest subgenus of Aspergillus and consists of nine sections. In this study, agricultural soils were sampled from 12 provinces and autonomous regions in China. Based on primary BLAST analyses, seven of 445 Aspergillus isolates showed low similarity with existing species. A polyphasic investigation, including phylogenetic analysis of partial ITS, ß-tubulin, calmodulin, and RNA polymerase II second largest subunit genes, provided evidence that these isolates were distributed among four new species (Aspergillus guangdongensis, A. guangxiensis, A. sichuanensis and A. tibetensis) in sections Aenei, Ochraceorosei, and Sparsi of subgenus Nidulantes. Illustrated morphological descriptions are provided for each new taxon.

New Species of Aspergillus (Aspergillaceae) from Tropical Islands of China.

Aspergillus species are cosmopolitan and ubiquitous, closely related to human daily life. They are also of food, industrial and medical importance. From the examination of cultures isolated from soil samples collected on tropical islands of China, four new species of the genus were discovered based on phylogenetic analyses and morphological comparisons. Aspergillus xishaensis sp. nov. and A. neoterreus sp. nov. belong to sections Flavipedes and Terrei of subgenus Circumdati, and A. hainanicus sp. nov. and A. qilianyuensis sp. nov. are in sections Cavernicolarum and Nidulantes of subgenus Nidulantes. To accommodate A. hainanicus, a new series Hainanici was proposed. Detailed descriptions and illustrations of the new taxa were provided.

New and interesting species of Penicillium (Eurotiomycetes, Aspergillaceae) in freshwater sediments from Spain.

Penicillium species are common fungi found worldwide from diverse substrates, including soil, plant debris, food products and air. Their diversity in aquatic environments is still underexplored. With the aim to explore the fungal diversity in Spanish freshwater sediments, numerous Penicillium strains were isolated using various culture-dependent techniques. A preliminary sequence analysis of the ß-tubulin (tub2) gene marker allowed us to identify several interesting species of Penicillium, which were later characterized phylogenetically with the barcodes recommended for species delimitation in the genus. Based on the multi-locus phylogeny of the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) of the ribosomal DNA, and partial fragments of tub2, calmodulin (cmdA), and the RNA polymerase II largest subunit (rpb2) genes, in combination with phenotypic analyses, five novel species are described. These are P.ausonanum in sectionLanata-Divaricata, P.guarroi in sect.Gracilenta, P.irregulare in sect.Canescentia, P.sicoris in sect.Paradoxa and P.submersum in sect.Robsamsonia. The study of several isolates from samples collected in different locations resulted in the reinstatement of P.vaccaeorum into sectionCitrina. Finally, P.heteromorphum (sect.Exilicaulis) and P.tardochrysogenum (sect.Chrysogena) are reported, previously only known from Antarctica and China, respectively.

A large transposable element mediates metal resistance in the fungus Paecilomyces variotii.

The horizontal transfer of large gene clusters by mobile elements is a key driver of prokaryotic adaptation in response to environmental stresses. Eukaryotic microbes face similar stresses; however, a parallel role for mobile elements has not been established. A stress faced by many microorganisms is toxic metal ions in their environment. In fungi, identified mechanisms for protection against metals generally rely on genes that are dispersed within an organism's genome. Here, we discover a large (∼85 kb) region that confers tolerance to five metal/metalloid ions (arsenate, cadmium, copper, lead, and zinc) in the genomes of some, but not all, strains of a fungus, Paecilomyces variotii. We name this region HEPHAESTUS (Hφ) and present evidence that it is mobile within the P. variotii genome with features characteristic of a transposable element. HEPHAESTUS contains the greatest complement of host-beneficial genes carried by a transposable element in eukaryotes, suggesting that eukaryotic transposable elements might play a role analogous to bacteria in the horizontal transfer of large regions of host-beneficial DNA. Genes within HEPHAESTUS responsible for individual metal tolerances include those encoding a P-type ATPase transporter-PcaA-required for cadmium and lead tolerance, a transporter-ZrcA-providing tolerance to zinc, and a multicopper oxidase-McoA-conferring tolerance to copper. In addition, a subregion of Hφ confers tolerance to arsenate. The genome sequences of other fungi in the Eurotiales contain further examples of HEPHAESTUS, suggesting that it is responsible for independently assembling tolerance to a diverse array of ions, including chromium, mercury, and sodium.

In Vitro Efficacy of Extracts and Isolated Bioactive Compounds from Ascomycota Fungi in the Treatment of Colorectal Cancer: A Systematic Review.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Despite the advances and success of current treatments (e.g., chemotherapy), there are multiple serious side effects which require the development of new treatment strategies. In recent years, fungi have gained considerable attention as a source of extracts and bioactive compounds with antitumor capabilities because of their antimicrobial and antioxidant properties and even their anti-inflammatory and antiviral activities. In the present review, a systematic search of the existing literature in four electronic databases was carried out in which the antitumor activity against CRC cells of Ascomycota fungi extracts or compounds was tested. The systematical research in the four databases resulted in a total of 883 articles. After applying exclusion and inclusion criteria, a total of 75 articles were finally studied. The order Eurotiales was the most studied (46% of the articles), and the ethyl acetate extraction was the most used method (49% of the papers). Penicillium extracts and gliotoxin and acetylgliotoxin G bioactive compounds showed the highest cytotoxic activity. This review also focuses on the action mechanisms of the extracts and bioactive compounds of fungi against CRC, which were mediated by apoptosis induction and the arrest of the cell cycle, which induces a notable reduction in the CRC cell proliferation capacity, and by the reduction in cell migration that limits their ability to produce metastasis. Thus, the ability of fungi to induce the death of cancer cells through different mechanisms may be the basis for the development of new therapies that improve the current results, especially in the more advanced stages of the CCR.

Re-Evaluation of the Taxonomy of Talaromyces minioluteus.

Talaromyces minioluteus belongs to the section Trachyspermi, has a worldwide distribution and has been found on various substrates, especially on various (stored) food commodities and indoor environments. This species is phenotypically and phylogenetically closely related to T. chongqingensis and T. minnesotensis. The phylogenetic and morphological analyses of 37 strains previously identified as T. chongqingensis, T. minnesotensis and T. minioluteus revealed that this clade incudes eight species: the accepted species T. chongqingensis, T. minnesotensis and T. minioluteus, the newly proposed species T. calidominioluteus, T. africanus and T. germanicus, and the new combinations T. gaditanus (basionym Penicillium gaditanum) and T. samsonii (basionym Penicillium samsonii). In this study, we give insight of the phylogenetic relationships and provide detailed descriptions of the species belonging to this clade. Macromorphological features, especially colony growth rates, texture and conidial colors on agar media, are important characters for phenotypic differentiation between species.

New Species of Talaromyces (Fungi) Isolated from Soil in Southwestern China.

Southwestern China belongs among the global biodiversity hotspots and the Daba Mountains are recognized as one of the priority conservation areas. During the exploration of fungal biodiversity from soil samples collected from Mount Daba, two species of Talaromyces were discovered as new to science based on phylogenetic analyses and morphological comparisons. Talaromyces chongqingensis sp. nov. is a sister taxon of T. minioluteus and T. minnesotensis in the section Trachyspermi; and T. wushanicus sp. nov., affiliated to the section Talaromyces, is closely related to T. cnidii and T. siamensis. The new species differ from their sisters in DNA sequences, growth rates, and morphological characteristics. Descriptions and illustrations of them are provided in detail.

New Xerophilic Species of Penicillium from Soil.

Soil is one of the main reservoirs of fungi. The aim of this study was to study the richness of ascomycetes in a set of soil samples from Mexico and Spain. Fungi were isolated after 2% w/v phenol treatment of samples. In that way, several strains of the genus Penicillium were recovered. A phylogenetic analysis based on internal transcribed spacer (ITS), beta-tubulin (BenA), calmodulin (CaM), and RNA polymerase II subunit 2 gene (rpb2) sequences showed that four of these strains had not been described before. Penicillium melanosporum produces monoverticillate conidiophores and brownish conidia covered by an ornate brown sheath. Penicillium michoacanense and Penicillium siccitolerans produce sclerotia, and their asexual morph is similar to species in the section Aspergilloides (despite all of them pertaining to section Lanata-Divaricata). P. michoacanense differs from P. siccitolerans in having thick-walled peridial cells (thin-walled in P. siccitolerans). Penicillium sexuale differs from Penicillium cryptum in the section Crypta because it does not produce an asexual morph. Its ascostromata have a peridium composed of thick-walled polygonal cells, and its ascospores are broadly lenticular with two equatorial ridges widely separated by a furrow. All four new species are xerophilic. Despite the genus Penicillium containing more than 480 known species, they are rarely reported as xerophilic.

An exploratory MALDI-TOF MS library based on SARAMIS superspectra for rapid identification of Aspergillus section Nigri.

Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) is a broadly used technique for identification and typing of microorganisms. However, its application to filamentous fungi has been delayed. The objective of this study was to establish a data library for rapid identification of the genus Aspergillus sect. Nigri using MALDI-TOF MS. With respect to sample preparation, we compared the utility of using mature mycelia, including conidial structures, to accumulate a wider range of proteins versus the conventional method relying on young hyphae. Mass spectral datasets obtained for 61 strains of 17 species were subjected to cluster analysis and compared with a phylogenetic tree based on calmodulin gene sequences. Specific and frequent mass spectral peaks corresponding to each phylogenetic group were selected (superspectra for the SARAMIS system). Fifteen superspectra representing nine species were ultimately created. The percentage of correct identification for 217 spectra was improved from 36.41% to 86.64% using the revised library. Additionally, 2.76% of the spectra were assigned to candidates that comprised several related species, including the correct species.

New species in Aspergillus section Usti and an overview of Aspergillus section Cavernicolarum.

Aspergillus sections Usti and Cavernicolarum are accommodated in the subgenus Nidulantes. In the present study, a polyphasic approach using morphology and multi-gene phylogeny was applied to investigate the taxonomy of these two sections. Based on the phylogenetic analysis, Aspergillus section Usti includes 25 species, which can be assigned to four series: Calidousti, Deflecti, Monodiorum and Usti. Aspergillus sigarelli is newly described in this section and this species was isolated from a cigarette from PR China and belongs to series Calidousti. It is clearly distinct from other members in this series based on ITS, BenA, CaM and RPB2 sequences. Aspergillus section Usti members like A. calidoustus and A. granulosus are important opportunistic pathogens, it is speculative that more pathogenetic species will be found by using polyphasic taxonomy approaches. Aspergillus section Cavernicolarum includes five species, the growth rates on agar media and size and ornamentation of conidia are important characters for differentiating species in section Cavernicolarum.

New section and species in Talaromyces.

Talaromyces is a monophyletic genus containing seven sections. The number of species in Talaromyces grows rapidly due to reliable and complete sequence data contributed from all over the world. In this study agricultural soil samples from Fujiang, Guangdong, Jiangxi, Shandong, Tibet and Zhejiang provinces of China were collected and analyzed for fungal diversity. Based on a polyphasic approach including phylogenetic analysis of partial ITS, BenA, CaM and RPB2 gene sequences, macro- and micro-morphological analyses, six of them could not be assigned to any described species, and one cannot be assigned to any known sections. Morphological characters as well as their phylogenetic relationship with other Talaromyces species are presented for these putative new species. Penicillium resedanum is combined in Talaromyces section Subinflati as T. resedanus.

Species diversity in Penicillium and Talaromyces from herbivore dung, and the proposal of two new genera of penicillium-like fungi in Aspergillaceae.

Coprophilous fungi are saprotrophic organisms that show great diversity, mainly on herbivore dung. The physico-chemical characteristics of this peculiar substrate combined with the high level of fungal adaptation to different environmental conditions offer the perfect setting for discovering new taxa. This study focused on the species diversity of penicillium-like fungi isolated mainly from herbivore dung collected at different Spanish locations. From 130 samples, a total of 104 isolates were obtained, and 48 species were identified. Preliminary identifications were based on morphology and partial ß-tubulin (tub2) gene sequences. Putative new taxa were characterized by a multi-gene sequencing analysis testing the tub2, the internal transcribed spacer rDNA (ITS), calmodulin (cmdA), and RNA polymerase II second largest subunit (rpb2) genes, and a detailed phenotypic study. Using this polyphasic approach and following the genealogical concordance phylogenetic species recognition (GCPSR) method, we propose the new genera Penicillago (for Penicillium nodositatum) and Pseudopenicillium (for Penicillium megasporum and P. giganteum) in the family Aspergillaceae, and 11 new species, including seven Penicillium, three Talaromyces and one Pseudopenicillium. A lectotype and epitype are designed for Penicillium nodositatum. Our results show that the species diversity of penicillium-like fungi on herbivore dung has not been widely studied and that this substrate seems to be a good reservoir of interesting Eurotialean fungi.

Apc.LaeA and Apc.VeA of the velvet complex govern secondary metabolism and morphological development in the echinocandin-producing fungus Aspergillus pachycristatus.

The impact of the global secondary metabolite regulators LaeA and VeA on echinocandin B production and morphological development was evaluated in the industrial production strain Aspergillus pachycristatus NRRL 11440. Other representative secondary metabolites were examined as well to determine if the velvet complex functions as in A. nidulans and other species of fungi. Genetic methods used for gene manipulations in A. nidulans were applied to A. pachycristatus. Separate deletions of genes Apc.laeA and Apc.veA resulted in similar yet differing phenotypes in strain NRRL 11440. Disruption of Apc.laeA and Apc.veA significantly reduced, but did not eliminate, the production of echinocandin B. Similar to what has been observed in A. nidulans, the production of sterigmatocystin was nearly eliminated in both mutants. Quantitative reverse transcription PCR analyses confirmed that selected genes of both the echinocandin B and sterigmatocystin gene clusters were down-regulated in both mutant types. The two mutants differed with respect to growth of aerial hyphae, pigmentation, development of conidiophores, conidial germination rate, and ascospore maturation. Further functional annotation of key regulatory genes in A. pachycristatus and related Aspergillus species will improve our understanding of regulation of echinocandin production and co-produced metabolites.