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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Peoria, Illinois » National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research » Mycotoxin Prevention and Applied Microbiology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #306126

Title: Expanding the species and chemical diversity of Penicillium section Cinnamopurpurea

Author
item Peterson, Stephen
item JURJEVIC, ŽELJKO - Emsl Analytical, Inc
item FRISVAD, JENS - Technical University Of Denmark

Submitted to: PLOS ONE
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/9/2015
Publication Date: 4/8/2015
Publication URL: http://handle.nal.usda.gov/10113/60667
Citation: Peterson, S.W., Jurjevic, Ž., Frisvad, J.C. 2015. Expanding the species and chemical diversity of Penicillium section Cinnamopurpurea. PLoS One. 10(4):e0121987.

Interpretive Summary: A mold isolated from pecan shells was found to make the poisonous compound citreoviridin, but experts disagreed on the identity of the mold. We compared the toxin forming mold with similar appearing molds using DNA sequence techniques to establish their genealogy. The analysis reveals that the pecan shell isolate represented an undescribed mold; analysis of the similar appearing molds showed that they represented another six mold species that have never been described, one of which produces citreoviridin. Seven total new molds were described and named. This information will be of interest to plant pathologists, food technologists, and academic mycologists.

Technical Abstract: A set of isolates very similar to or potentially conspecific with an unidentified Penicillium isolate NRRL 735, was assembled using a BLAST search of ITS similarity among described (GenBank) and undescribed Penicillium isolates in our laboratories. DNA was amplified from six loci of the assembled isolates and sequenced. Two species in section Cinnamopurpurea are self-compatible sexual species, but the asexual species had polymorphic loci suggestive of sexual reproduction and variation in conidium size suggestive of ploidy level differences typical of heterothallism. Accordingly we use genealogical concordance analysis, a technique valid only in heterothallic organisms, for putatively asexual species. Seven new species were revealed in the analysis and are described here. Extrolite analysis showed that two of the new species, P. colei and P. monsserratidens produce the mycotoxin citreoviridin that has demonstrated pharmacological activity against human lung tumors. These isolates could provide leads in pharmaceutical research.