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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 #321096
Title: Aspergillus asper sp.nov. and Aspergillus collinsii sp.nov., from Aspergillus section Usti

Author
item JURJEVIC, ZELJKO - Emsl Analytical, Inc
item Peterson, Stephen

Submitted to: International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/15/2016
Publication Date: 1/7/2016
Citation: Jurjevic, Z., Peterson, S.W. 2016. Aspergillus asper sp.nov. and Aspergillus collinsii sp.nov., from Aspergillus section Usti. International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology. 66:2566-2575. doi: 10.1099/ijsem.0.001094.

Interpretive Summary: Mold identification is quite important in the assessment of “sick building syndrome” by environmental testing companies and subsequent dealings with private insurers and government agencies. During a building mold analysis two unidentifiable molds were found and isolated in pure culture. We used molecular techniques to show that the unidentified molds were new to science and provide character based descriptions of the molds, species names, and molecular markers that uniquely identify these species for routine testing. This information will be quite useful for environmental testing companies and will be of interest to professional mycologists.

Technical Abstract: In sampling fungi from the built environment, two isolates that could not confidently be placed in described species were encountered. Phenotypic analysis suggested that they belonged in Aspergillus sect. Usti. In order to verify the sectional placement and to assure that they were undescribed rather than phenotypically aberrant isolates, DNA was isolated and sequenced at the beta-tubulin, calmodulin, internal transcribed spacer and RNA polymerase II loci and sequences compared with those from other species in the genus Aspergillus. At each locus, each new isolate was distant from existing species. Phylogenetic trees calculated from these data and GenBank data for species of the section Usti excluded the placement of these isolates in existing species, with statistical support. Because they were excluded from existing taxa, the distinct species Aspergillus asper (type strain NRRL 35910T) and Aspergillus collinsii (type strain NRRL 66196T) in sect. Usti are proposed to accommodate these strains.