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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 #324206
Title: A reappraisal of Aspergillus section Nidulantes with descriptions of two new sterigmatocystin producing species

Author
item HUBKA, VIT - Charles University, Czech Republic
item NOVAKOVA, ALENA - Charles University, Czech Republic
item SKLENAR, FRANTISEK - Charles University, Czech Republic
item KUBATOVA, ALENA - Charles University, Czech Republic
item KOLARIK, MIROSLAV - Charles University, Czech Republic
item Peterson, Stephen
item FRISVAD, JENS - Technical University Of Denmark
item TETSUHIRO, MATSUZAWA - Chiba University

Submitted to: Plant Systematics and Evolution
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/6/2016
Publication Date: 8/31/2016
Citation: Hubka, V., Novakova, A., Peterson, S.W., Frisvad, J.C., Sklenar, F., Matsuzawa, T., Kubatova, A., Kolarik, M. 2016. A reappraisal of Aspergillus section Nidulantes with descriptions of two new sterigmatocystin-producing species. Plant Systematics and Evolution. 302(9):1267-1299.

Interpretive Summary: In many parts of the world molds are identified using only growth characteristics and microscopic morphology. Aspergillus is a large genus (about 300 species) and is subdivided into sections based on colony appearance to help the identification process. Many new species have been described in the past 10 years, particularly in the group called Nidulantes. In this study we reevaluate the characteristics that can be used to identify the Nidulantes group to aid the quick and accurate identifications of molds that are important as toxin producers, opportunistic human and animal pathogens, and organisms used in making various chemicals and food products. This work will be valuable to academic, medical and food processing, and built environment quality assurance microbiologists.

Technical Abstract: Aspergillus section Nidulantes is a speciose group of microscopic fungi whose species are important in indoor air quality, food spoilage, mycotoxin production and human pathogenicity. We assembled as many species from the section as possible with either type specimens or protologues for analysis. DNA sequences were obtained from up to four loci to conduct phylogenetic analysis of sect. Nidulantes and other species in subgenus Nidulantes. Comparisons of phenetic characters were made. Our goal was to recognize monophyletic taxa for section Nidulantes as well as the other taxa in the subgenus. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that sections Versicolores and Aenei formed subclades in the larger clade containing the type species of section Nidulantes. In order to maintain monophyly in section Nidulantes, we synonymized sects. Versicolores and Aenei with sect. Nidulantes. In place of sections, we have identified six subclades in sect. Nidulantes that also have shared phenetic character sets that allow for easier morphological identification of species. Earlier reports showed that standard ß-tubulin primers can occasionally amplify the tubC gene rather than the benA gene they were designed for. We show that codon usage analysis can easily distinguish between these paralogues, and we provide primer pair options to allow benA amplifications. Two new sect. Nidulantes species are described from European caves, A. croceus (Spain) and A. askiburgiensis (Czech Republic). The analysis of exometabolites showed that both species are able to produce the mycotoxin sterigmatocystin and some additional compounds.