Unravelling the hidden diversity of cave mycobiota in Thailand's Satun Geopark.

Karst caves are distinctive ecosystems that have limited nutrients, darkness, low to moderate temperatures, and high moisture levels, which allow for a diverse range of fungal communities to thrive. Despite their significance, little is understood about the fungi found in karst caves in Thailand. In 2019, we studied the cultured mycobiota from five substrate types (air, water, rock, soil/sediment, and organic debris) in two karst caves (Le Stegodon and Phu Pha Phet Caves) of the Satun UNESCO Global Geopark, southern Thailand. A cumulative count of 829 distinct fungal morphological types was identified, encompassing 319 fungal culturable were observed. Based on preliminary analyses of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequence using BLAST searches, the most common phylum among the fungal morphotypes was Ascomycota, harboring 282 species in 91 genera, 93.4% of which were distributed in the classes Eurotiomycetes, Sordariomycetes, and Dothideomycetes. The most common fungal genera identified in the two karst caves were Aspergillus, Penicillium, Cladosporium, Talaromyces, Xylaria, and Trichoderma, with 45, 41, 24, 14, 14, and 6 species identified, respectively. Discovering fungi in Thai karst caves highlights the extensive fungal diversity in the Satun UNESCO Global Geopark, implying undiscovered species, and emphasizing the need for comprehensive investigations in other unexplored Thai karst caves.

Studies on the Genus Pyrenopolyporus (Hypoxylaceae) in Thailand Using a Polyphasic Taxonomic Approach.

Over the past two decades, hypoxylaceous specimens were collected from several sites in Thailand. In this study, we examined their affinity to the genus Pyrenopolyporus using macroscopic and microscopic morphological characters, dereplication of their stromatal secondary metabolites using ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography coupled to diode array detection and ion mobility tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-DAD-IM-MS/MS), and molecular phylogenetic analyses. We describe and illustrate five novel species and a new record for the country, present multi-locus phylogenetic analyses that show the distinction between the proposed species, and provide proteomic profiles of the fungi using matrix associated laser desorption ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF/MS) for the first time. Based on our findings, this strategy is useful as a complementary tool to distinguish species between Daldinia and Pyrenopolyporus in a consistent way with the phylogenetic analysis.

Two Novel Species of Talaromyces Discovered in a Karst Cave in the Satun UNESCO Global Geopark of Southern Thailand.

Karst caves are oligotrophic environments that appear to support a high diversity of fungi. Studies of fungi in Thailand's caves are limited. During a 2019 exploration of the mycobiota associated with soil samples from a karst cave, namely, Phu Pha Phet in the Satun UNESCO Global Geopark in Satun Province, southern Thailand, two previously undescribed fungi belonging to Talaromyces (Trichocomaceae, Eurotiales, Eurotiomycetes) were studied using a polyphasic approach combining phenotypic and molecular data. Based on datasets of four loci (ITS, BenA, CaM, and RPB2), phylogenetic trees of the section Trachyspermi were constructed, and two new species-Talaromyces phuphaphetensis sp. nov. and T. satunensis sp. nov.-phylogenetically related to T. subericola, T. resinae, and T. brasiliensis, are described. Detailed descriptions and illustrations of the new species are provided. This study increases the number of cave-dwelling soil fungi discovered in Thailand's Satun UNESCO Global Geopark, which appears to be a unique environment with a high potential for discovering fungal species previously undescribed.

Mushroom poisoning in Thailand between 2003 and 2017.

The frequent occurrence of mushroom poisoning cases in the wet season in Thailand has long been recognized but has never been quantitatively analyzed. This study aims to analyze mushroom poisoning cases in Thailand between 2003 and 2017 and focused on their association with the rainfall. The results revealed 22,571 cases and 106 deaths in this period. Cases were higher for females than males, adults than children, and agriculturists than people in other occupations. Cases were higher in the northeastern and northern regions than in the central, south, and east regions. There are strong effects of seasonality on mushroom poisoning cases. Over the 15-y period, 17,337 cases occurred in the wet season (May-Sep) compared with 5,234 cases in the dry season (Oct-Apr). The number of monthly poisoning cases were high in men, mature adults, agriculturists, people living in the rural areas and people living in the Northeastern and Northern provinces. Moreover, a strong positive correlation was shown between the number of monthly poisoning cases and the amount of monthly rainfall.

Phallus chiangmaiensis sp. nov. and a Record of P. merulinus in Thailand.

During the rainy season in Thailand, specimens of Phallus chiangmaiensis sp. nov. and P. merulinus were collected from Chiang Mai and Samut Sakhon Provinces, respectively. Molecular phylogenetic analyses based on sequences of the nuclear ribosomal large subunit (LSU), nuclear ribosomal 5.8S gene including the internal transcribed spacer regions 1 and 2 (ITS), and the protein-coding gene atp6 (mitochondrial adenosine triphosphate [ATP] synthase subunit 6) support the placement of the new species within Phallus. Phallus chiangmaiensis has a well-developed white indusium and campanulated caps with reticulate surfaces. It differs morphologically from the related species, as supported by the phylogenetic data. Phallus merulinus is reported here as a species that was re-encountered in Thailand. The descriptions of the species are accompanied by illustrations of macro- and micro- morphological features, and a discussion of the related taxa is presented.

Phylogenetic relationship of the coelomycete genus Infundibulomyces based on nuclear rDNA data.

The phylogenetic relationship of the coelomycete genus Infundibulomyces with cupulate conidiomata was assessed by ribosomal DNA sequences of partial small subunit (SSU) and partial large subunit (LSU) regions using maximum parsimony and Bayesian analysis. The genus has no known teleomorph. A new species, Infundibulomyces oblongisporus, is described from collections on a senescent angiosperm leaf from Thailand based on morphological and phylogenetic evidence. Both Infundibulomyces species form a monophyletic group in the Chaetosphaeriaceae (Chaetosphaeriales, Sordariomycetidae) with Dictyochaeta simplex as a sister clade. Chaetosphaeriaceae with a coelomycete anamorph has not been reported previously.

Putative basidiomycete teleomorphs and phylogenetic placement of the coelomycete genera: Chaetospermum, Giulia and Mycotribulus based on nu-rDNA sequences.

Few basidiomycetes are known to have a coelomycete anamorph. The partial SSU and LSU of nu-rDNA of three coelomycete genera (Chaetospermum, Giulia, Mycotribulus) were sequenced to determine their phylogenetic relationship. M. mirabilis was well placed in the Physalacriaceae, Agaricales, whereas G. tenuis clusters with the Corticiaceae, Corticiales. C. camelliae and C. artocarpi form a close relationship with the Sebacinaceae, Sebacinales. Although morphologically these coelomycetes are pycnidial and with appendaged conidia, they show no consistency in their phylogenetic relationship, belonging to disparate major taxonomic groups with putative teleomorphs in the Agaricales, Corticiales and Sebacinales. Further molecular studies of coelomycetes may be rewarding to evaluate their phylogenetic affinities.

A synnematous species of Dictyoarthrinium from Thailand.

Genus Dictyoarthrinium is reviewed. Dictyoarthrinium synnematicum, collected on decaying banana leaves in Thailand, is illustrated, described as a new species and compared with related taxa. The fungus differs from other Dictyoarthrinium species in having a synnematous structure. This species is the first synnematous record of an anamorphic fungus with basauxic conidiophores. A key to species of Dictyoarthrinium is provided.