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Title: Endomelanconiopsis, a new anamorph genus in the Botryosphaeriaceae

Author
item ROJAS, ENITH - PANAMA
item MEJIA, LUIS - RUTGERS UNIV. NJ
item HERRE, ALLEN - PANAMA
item CHAVERRI, PRISCILA - HOWARD UNIV. WASH. DC
item Samuels, Gary

Submitted to: Mycologia
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/18/2008
Publication Date: 10/14/2008
Citation: Rojas, E.I., Mejia, L., Herre, A., Chaverri, P., Samuels, G.J. 2008. Endomelanconiopsis, a new anamorph genus in the Botryosphaeriaceae. Mycologia. 100:760-775.

Interpretive Summary: Endophytic fungi are found to occur inside all healthy living plants and have recently been shown to be beneficial in protecting plants from diseases. The endophytic fungi in most plants have not been explored and identified. In this study an endophytic fungus was isolated frequently from healthy leaves of the chocolate plant in Panama. Using morphological and molecular characteristics this fungus was determined to be a previously unknown species. This new species was named, described, illustrated and determined to be related to a group of canker-causing fungi. This research will be used by plant pathologists seeking to protect the chocolate plant from diseases without the use of pesticides.

Technical Abstract: The new species Endomelanconium endphyticum was common among endophytes isolated from healthy leaves of Theobroma cacao (cacao, Malvaceae) and Heisteria concinna (Oleaceae) in Panama. A total of fifteen endophytic cultures representing both hosts were selected for sequencing and morphological characterization. Endomelanconium is characterized by having eustromatic conidiomata and holoblastically produced brown conidia, each with a longitudinal germ slit. Endomelanconium endophyticum differs from the four previously described species (E. pini, E. nanum, E. microsporum and E. phoenicicola) in its narrower conidia. No chlamydospores were observed and microspores formed in some isolates. Based on phylogenetic analysis utilizing partial sequences of LSU, ITS and translation elongation factor 1 alpha (tef1-') genes, E. endophyticum is a sister taxon of E. microsporum and the clade clustered within Botryosphaeria with a highly significant statistical support. Endomelanconium is paraphyletic. Two species of Endomelanconium are anamorphs of Austrocenangium (Helotiales). The teleomorph or phylogenetic position of the type of Endomelanconium, E. pini, are not known. The genus Endomelanconium is retained in a broad and paraphyletic sense pending resolution of its type species and also taxonomic resolution of Botryosphaeria s.lat. This is the first report of an Endomelanconium anamorph in Botryosophaeria.