Multi-locus phylogenetic analyses reveal eight novel species of Distoseptispora from southern China

Abstract

ABSTRACT Plant debris are habitat favoring the growth of various microbial species. Over the course of our mycological surveys in Jiangxi and Yunnan Provinces, China, eight new Distoseptispora species, viz. D. gasaensis, D. guanshanensis, D. jinghongensis, D. longnanensis, D. menghaiensis, D. menglunensis, D. nanchangensis, and D. yichunensis collected on dead branches of unidentified plants, were introduced by morphological and molecular phylogenetic analyses. Multi-locus (LSU, ITS, TEF1, and RPB2) phylogenetic analyses were performed using maximum-likelihood and Bayesian inference to infer their taxonomic positions within Distoseptispora. Both molecular phylogenetic analyses and morphological characters supported them as eight independent taxa within Distoseptispora. This work improves our understanding of the diversity of Distoseptispora in southern China. IMPORTANCE Distoseptispora as a single genus in Distoseptisporaceae was introduced by morphological and phylogenetic analyses. Members of this genus occur mainly as asexual morphs, forming effuse, hairy colonies on decaying wood, plant stems, bamboo culms, and fallen leaves and shafts in terrestrial and freshwater habitats. In the present study, saprobic hyphomycetes from plant debris were investigated, and eight new Distoseptispora species were introduced based on morphology and phylogenetic analyses of LSU, ITS, TEF1, and RPB2 sequence data. This study provides important data on the species diversity, ecological environment, and geographical area of Distoseptispora, greatly updates the classification of Distoseptispora, and improves our understanding of the taxonomy of Distoseptispora.

Keywords

• asexual ascomycetes
• Distoseptisporales
• molecular phylogeny
• new taxa
• taxonomy