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Title: Taxonomy and phylogenetic relationships of two species of hypocrea with Trichoderma anamorphs

Author
item DODD, SARAH - PSU
item LIECKFELDT, ELKE - BERLIN, GERMANY
item CHAVERRI, PRISCILA - PSU
item OVERTON, BARRIE - PSU
item Samuels, Gary

Submitted to: Mycological Progress
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/26/2002
Publication Date: 12/8/2002
Citation: Dodd, S.L., Lieckfeldt, E., Chaverri, P., Overton, B., Samuels, G.J. 2002. Taxonomy and phylogenetic relationships of two species of hypocrea with Trichoderma anamorphs. Mycological Progress. 1:409-428.

Interpretive Summary: Trichoderma species are often used in biological control and in biotechnological applications. They are also ubiquitous in the environment as soil and litter fungi. Trichoderma refers to the asexually reproducing stage of the sexual ascomycete, Hypocrea. Most species of Hypocrea have, or are likely to have, Trichoderma asexual forms but few have been grown in pure culture. As the life cycles of Hypocrea species are investigated, increased genetic and morphological diversity of Trichoderma is revealed; moreover, new Trichoderma strains that can be assayed for biological or biotechnological potential become available. In the present paper two species of Hypocrea and their Trichoderma forms are described and their phylogenetic positions are confirmed. One of the species, H. patella, was described in the 19th century but only now connected unequivocally to a Trichoderma. It was shown to be related to the T. longibrachiatum group. The second species, H. neorufa, is new to science and is closely related to H. rufa. Its sexual, Hypocrea, form is indistinguishable from that of H. rufa but their Trichoderma forms are morphologically distinct.

Technical Abstract: Hypocrea patella is reevaluated. Its Trichoderma anamorph is described and the phylogenetic position of the species is determined through sequences of the ITS regions of rDNA. It is sister to a clade that includes Trichoderma longibrachiatum/H. schweinitzii. Hypocrea patella f. tropica is accepted for a Costa Rican collection. Hypocrea neorufa and its Trichoderma anamorph are described. Its phylogenetic position is determined by sequences of the ITS region of rDNA and the protein coding translation-elongation factor (EF-1a). It is derived from within a clade that includes T. viride/H. rufa, T. atroviride/H. atroviridis, T. koningii/H. koningii and T. asperellum. Despite the fact that H. patella and H. neorufa are not closely related, their anamorphs are morphologically similar. The morphology of the Trichoderma anamorphs of H. patella and H. neorufa suggests placement in Trichoderma sect. Pachybasium, but that section is paraphyletic. The utility of the current taxonomic subdivision of Trichoderma is questioned. Taxonomical novelty: Hypocrea neorufa sp. nov.