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Anthracoidea species are highly host-specific smut fungi. Their host range is restricted to a single sedge species or sedge species belonging to the same or closely related sections. The species on Carex obtusata was referred to as Anthracoidea caryophylleae. However, the hosts of A. caryophylleae were reduced to carices in Carex sect. Mitratae, in its traditional circumscription. In the most recently proposed classification of Carex, C. obtusata has been placed within the Capitata Clade of C. subgen. Euthyceras. In order to clarify the taxonomic status of the Anthracoidea species on C. obtusata, we conducted a molecular study of specimens on C. obtusata and C. caryophyllea, using LSU rDNA sequences. It was found that the Anthracoidea species on C. obtusata is distinct from A. caryophylleae. A new species, Anthracoidea obtusatae on C. obtusata, is described and illustrated from Russia, based on a specimen from the Altay Mts. Its phylogenetic placement and affinities in Anthracoidea are analyzed. Anthracoidea obtusatae is distributed in Central Asia—the Northern Tian Shan Range (Zailiysky Alatau Range and Ketmen Ridge) and the Russian and Mongolian Altay Mts. A morphological examination of a specimen of Anthracoidea on C. obtusata from Canada found that its spore morphology did not match that of A. obtusatae. Additional collections and molecular study are required to clarify the taxonomic status of the North American Anthracoidea species on C. obtusata.

The morphology and phylogeny of Tranzscheliella on Agropyron cristatum (Triticeae) collected in Ukraine were studied by light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and a molecular phylogenetic data of two rDNA loci (ITS and 28S). As a result, T. helutae sp. nov. is described. The fungus differs from other species from the T. hypodytes complex by a combination of morphological and molecular data.

A fungus causing false smut in the flowers of Murdannia keisak (Commelinaceae, Commelinales, Monocots) in Japan was morphologically identical to Ustilago aneilematis. The fungus infected ovaries of most flowers of host plants. Infected flowers were filled with yellow to orange thick-walled conidia that became olivaceous green at maturity. However, multilocus phylogenetic analysis of DNA sequences (18S, 28S, translation elongation factor 1α [TEF], the largest [RPB1] and the second largest [RPB2] subunit of RNA polymerase II) showed that the fungus belonged to the tribe Ustilaginoideae (Clavicipitaceae, Hypocreales, Ascomycota). Microscopic examination showed that the fungus developed conidia at the apex of conidiogenous cells, in contrast to other species in the Ustilaginoideae that develop conidia pleurogenously. A new genus, Commelinaceomyces, is formally proposed in the Ustilaginoideae to accommodate this fungus. Four species previously misplaced in Ustilago (Ustilaginales, Basidiomycota) are transferred to Commelinaceomyces, including the type of the genus, C. aneilematis, on Murdannia keisak. This is the first report of a clavicipitaceous species infecting host plants in the Commelinaceae.

Six polymorphic yeast strains with strong antifungal activities isolated from dicot plants in an alkaline-lake desert region were subjected to taxonomic examination. The phylogenetic trees reconstructed by using neighbour-joining, maximum-likelihood and Bayesian methods from concatenated D1/D2 and ITS-5.8S-ITS2 sequences revealed phylogenetic affinity to Ustilaginaceae, but the large phylogenetic distance separating the isolates from the most closely related groups of species indicates that they represent a separate species. The sequences of the genes coding for the LSU rDNA, act1, rpb2 and a protein of unknown function corroborate this position. The isolates can easily be distinguished from their closest relatives by physiological tests (utilisation of carbon and nitrogen sources). Based on these results, a new species, Mycosarcoma aegyptiacum sp. nov., is proposed to accommodate the isolates. All isolates are polymorphic. Transitions between budding-yeast and pseudohyphal morphologies which take place during colony formation result in morphologically different colony sectors and invasive growth into the medium. Neither sexual mating nor sporulation was observed in cultures growing on laboratory media.

A combined ecological, morphological, and molecular approach was used to examine 26 herbarium specimens and eight strains of Moesziomyces. The phylogenetic analysis resolved eight well-supported clades, of which three contained type specimens of known species of Moesziomyces. One clade contained two specimens that produced a teleomorph in the flowers of Echinochloakimberleyensis in Australia. The name Moesziomyceskimberleyensis is proposed for this smut fungus. Another clade contained specimens that produced sori in the flowers of Leersiahexandra. The name Thecaphoraglobuligera (now Moesziomycesglobuligerus) is available for this species, which is lectotypified. The teleomorph of Moesziomycesantarcticus, previously known only from Japan, is found for the first time in China, on Echinochloacrus-galli.

Cintractiella is an unusual genus of smut fungi containing two described species that produce sori as adventitious gall-like spikelets on members of tribe Hypolytreae (subfam. Mapanioideae, Cyperaceae). In September 200, during a botanical expedition on the volcanic island of Kosrae located in the eastern Caroline Islands and within the Federated States of Micronesia, a specimen of Mapaniapacifica was collected displaying Cintractiella-like sori in adventitious spikelets on the host leaves. Sori were hypophyllous, occurring in groups of spikelets composed of olivaceous-brown scale-like leaves, 1–1.5 mm wide and up to 6 mm long. Microscopic comparison with the protologue and drawings of the type material of C.lamii show several differences in teliospore and sori characters between it and the newly collected material on Mapania. To our knowledge, this represents only the second known collection of any member of Cintractiella on vegetative organs of Hypolytreae and a third species for this genus and the only known smut species infecting Mapania, herein described as Cintractiellakosraensissp. nov.

A basidiomycetous yeast, Pseudozyma tsukubaensis , has been isolated from a variety of plant materials. Previous molecular phylogenetic analyses have suggested this yeast is an asexual stage of the smut fungus Macalpinomyces spermophorus (synonym Ustilago spermophora , Ustilaginales). To reveal the teleomorph–anamorph connection, yeast-like isolates from germinated teliospores of morphologically identified M. spermophorus on Eragrostis ferruginea from Japan were analyzed. The internal transcribed spacer region of rDNA of the yeast isolates was mostly identical with that of known isolates of P. tsukubaensis . Physiological analysis showed that the characteristics of the yeast isolates correlated well with P. tsukubaensis . These data revealed that P. tsukubaensis is the anamorph of M. spermophorus and should be treated as a synonym of M. spermophorus . In addition, the erythritol-producing ability of the yeast isolates derived from teliospores of M. spermophorus were confirmed by high-performance ion-exchange chromatography and 13 C NMR analyses.

Macalpinomyces was established in 1977, with the type species M. eriachnes described from a specimen collected in northern Australia on the grass Eriachne sp. in 1855. Subsequently, M. eriachnes has been reported on more than 21 species of Eriachne in northern Australia. In this study, a polyphasic approach was employed to determine whether M. eriachnes masked cryptic diversity. On the basis of morphology, multilocus phylogeny, and coalescent methods of generalized mixed Yule-coalescent (GMYC) and Poisson tree processes (PTP) models, 26 specimens of Macalpinomyces on 13 species of Eriachne held in Australian herbaria were studied. Consequently, 10 new species of Macalpinomyces that satisfied the phylogenetic species recognition criteria are described.

The dataset contains detailed distribution information on several fungal groups. The information has been revised, and in many times compiled, by expert mycologist(s) working on the monographs for the Flora Mycologica Iberica Project (FMI). Records comprise both collection and observational data, obtained from a variety of sources including field work, herbaria, and the literature. The dataset contains 59,235 records, of which 21,393 are georeferenced. These correspond to 2,445 species, grouped in 18 classes. The geographical scope of the dataset is Iberian Peninsula (Continental Portugal and Spain, and Andorra) and Balearic Islands. The complete dataset is available in Darwin Core Archive format via the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF).

This study used existing databases to test the hypothesis that fern species harbor fewer pathogen species than angiosperm species. Analysis was limited to fungal pathogens because of their visibility and to herbaceous perennial dicots (forbs) because they have a similar growth form to ferns. From complete listings in the United States Department of Agriculture plant-fungal database, the number of pathogen species recorded on 200 randomly chosen ferns and herbaceous perennial dicot species were assessed. To control for differences in study effort, the number of citations to these species in the Web of Science was determined. The results showed that the major predictor of the number of fungal pathogen species known to occur on a plant species was study effort, but after controlling for this, the likelihood of a fern species being recorded as having a fungal pathogen species was much less than that for a forb. When pathogens were present, there were approximately 50% fewer pathogen species recorded on fern species than on forb species. This pattern is present even though fern species were cited on average more often than forb species, and it is consistent with impressions in the literature from studies in other parts of the world. Testable hypotheses to explain this difference are evaluated in the context of evolutionary processes leading to variation for pathogen incidence in different phylogenetic lineages, but the physiological or molecular processes that determine the higher resistance of ferns to fungal pathogens remain unknown.

There are 63 known species of Thecaphora (Glomosporiaceae, Ustilaginomycotina), a third of which occur on Asteraceae. These smut fungi produce yellowish-brown to reddish-brown masses of spore balls in specific, mostly regenerative, plant organs. A species of Thecaphora was collected in the flower heads of Anthemis chia (Anthemideae, Asteraceae) on Rhodes Island, Greece, in 2015 and 2017, which represents the first smut record of a smut fungus on a host plant species in this tribe. Based on its distinctive morphology, host species and genetic divergence, this species is described as Thecaphora anthemidis sp. nov. Molecular barcodes of the ITS region are provided for this and several other species of Thecaphora. A phylogenetic and morphological comparison to closely related species showed that Th. anthemidis differed from other species of Thecaphora. Thecaphora anthemidis produced loose spore balls in the flower heads and peduncles of Anthemis chia unlike other flower-infecting species., Postprints der Universität Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe, 995

A recent cataloguing of the Heteroptera (Hemiptera) types held in the collection of National Museum, Prague (NMPC), revealed several specimens originating from the collection of Czech collectors Emil Holub and Ladislav Duda, being part of the same series as types described by Géza Horváth in his paper ‘Hemiptera nova africana’ and until now believed to be deposited exclusively in the Hungarian Natural History Museum, Budapest (HNHM). The publication date of that paper is fixed as March 20, 1893, affecting these taxa: Reduviidae: Coranopsis Horváth, 1893, Coranopsis vittata Horváth, 1893, Cosmolestes fulvus Horváth, 1893, Edocla albipennis Horváth, 1893, Harpactor (Diphymus) dudae Horváth, 1893, Oncocephalus angustatus Horváth, 1893, Phonoctonus validus Horváth, 1893, Reduvius reuteri Horváth, 1893, Staccia inermis Horváth, 1893; Blissidae: Ischnocoridea Horváth, 1893, Ischnocoridea elegans Horváth, 1893; Rhyparochromidae: Aphanus (Graptopeltus) dilutus Horváth, 1893 [= Naphiellus dilutus (Horváth, 1893)], Pamera bergrothi Horváth, 1893 [= Horridipamera bergrothi (Horváth, 1893)]; Coreidae: Homoeocerus fuscicornis Horváth, 1893, Hypselonotus balteatus Horváth, 1893 [= Hypselonotus interruptus Hahn, 1833]; Plataspidae: Niamia Horváth, 1893, Niamia angulosa Horváth, 1893; Scutelleridae: Cantao africanus Horváth, 1893, Cryptacrus princeps Horváth, 1893 [= Cryptacrus comes comes (Fabricius, 1803)], Polytodes Horváth, 1893 [= Polytes Stål, 1867], Polytodes ochraceus Horváth, 1893 [= Polytes tigrinus (Vollenhoven, 1868)]; Dinidoridae: Dinidor vicarius Horváth, 1893; Pentatomidae: Caura modesta Horváth, 1893, Diploxys (Paracoponia) holubi Horváth, 1893 [= Coponia holubi (Horváth, 1893)], Paracoponia Horváth, 1893 [= Coponia Stål, 1865], Mecosoma spinosum Horváth, 1893 [= Macrorhaphis acuta Dallas, 1851], Menida distanti Horváth, 1893 [= Menida transversa transversa (Signoret, 1861)], and Stollia crucifera Horváth, 1893. Only the following type specimens bearing Horváth’s original type label and deposited in HNHM are recognized and their status elucidated: Coranopsis vittata (1 syntype), Cosmolestes fulvus (holotype), Edocla albipennis (holotype), Harpactor (Diphymus) dudae (1 syntype), Oncocephalus angustatus (1 syntype), Reduvius reuteri (1 syntype), Homoeocerus fuscicornis (1 syntype), Hypselonotus balteatus (1 syntype), Niamia angulosa (1 syntype), Cryptacrus princeps (1 syntype), Polytodes ochraceus (holotype), Dinidor vicarius (holotype), Caura modesta (lectotype), Diploxys (Paracoponia) holubi (lectotype), and Menida distanti (1 syntype). The syntype(s) of Cantao africanus and holotype of Stollia crucifera could not be located; a specimen in NMPC presumably from the same series is designated here as neotype of Stollia crucifera. Based on the examination of the type material the following subjective synonymies are proposed: Neotrichedocla quadrisignata (Stål, 1855) = Reduvius reuteri Horváth, 1893, confirmed synonymy; Dinidor impicticollis Stål, 1870 = D. vicarius Horváth, 1893, syn. nov.; Parantestia (Chromantestia) cincticollis (Schaum, 1853) = Parantestia (Chromantestia) modesta (Horváth, 1893), syn. nov. = Parantestia (Chromantestia) cincticollis var. bergrothiana Kirkaldy, 1909, syn. nov.; Cosmopepla cruciaria Stål, 1872 = Stollia crucifera Horváth, 1893, syn. nov. Rhynocoris katangensis Schouteden, 1929 (Reduviidae), erroneously considered as junior synonym of Rhynocoris dudae by MALDONADO CAPRILES (1990), must be considered valid species. Type locality of the species described based on material collected by Emil Holub is discussed. New records are provided for Edocla albipennis (Namibia), Homoeocerus fuscicornis (Angola) and Parantestia cincticollis (Republic of the Congo).

International audience; Ustilaginomycotina is home to a broad array of fungi including important plant pathogens collectively called smut fungi. Smuts are biotrophs that produce characteristic perennating propagules called teliospores, one of which, Ustilago maydis, is a model genetic organism. Broad exploration of smut biology has been hampered by limited phylogenetic resolution of Ustilaginiomycotina as well as an overall lack of genomic data for members of this subphylum. In this study, we sequenced eight Ustilaginomycotina genomes from previously unrepresented lineages, deciphered ordinal-level phylogenetic relationships for the subphylum, and performed comparative analyses. Unlike other Basidiomycota subphyla, all sampled Ustilaginomycotina genomes are relatively small and compact. Ancestral state reconstruction analyses indicate that teliospore formation was present at the origin of the subphylum. Divergence time estimation dates the divergence of most extant smut fungi after that of grasses (Poaceae). However, we found limited conservation of well-characterized genes related to smut pathogenesis from U. maydis, indicating dissimilar pathogenic mechanisms exist across other smut lineages. The genomes of Malasseziomycetes are highly diverged from the other sampled Ustilaginomycotina, likely due to their unique history as mammal-associated lipophilic yeasts. Despite extensive genomic data, the phylogenetic placement of this class remains ambiguous. Although the sampled Ustilaginomycotina members lack many core enzymes for plant cell wall decomposition and starch catabolism, we identified several novel carbohydrate active enzymes potentially related to pectin breakdown. Finally, ∼50% of Ustilaginomycotina species-specific genes are present in previously undersampled and rare lineages, highlighting the importance of exploring fungal diversity as a resource for novel gene discovery.

Genome biology and evolution : GBE 10(2), 629-645 (2018). doi:10.1093/gbe/evy023, Published by Oxford Univ. Press, Oxford

Endophytic yeasts are yeast that can colonize healthy plant tissues without causing any damage to the host plant. This work aimed to explore the diversity of endophytic yeasts in leaf tissue of main agricultural crops (rice, corn and sugarcane) in Thailand, by a culture-dependent approach. A total of 311 leaf samples, consisting of rice (n = 100), corn (n = 109) and sugarcane (n = 102). From the tissue of rice (n = 92), corn (n = 76) and sugarcane (n = 78) leaf samples, 117, 118 and 123 yeast strains were respectively isolated and identified based on the D1/D2 region of the large subunit (LSU) rRNA gene sequence analysis to be yeast species in both the phyla Basidiomycota and Ascomycota. Higher numbers of basidiomycetous yeast than ascomycetous yeast were detected in the leaf tissue of the three crops. Pseudozyma (Dirkmeia) churashimaensis (Ustilaginales) was the most prevalent yeast species in the rice and corn leaves with relative frequencies (RF) of 35.9 % and 17.8 %, respectively. Whereas the predominant species in the sugarcane leaves was Meyerozyma caribbica (Saccharomycetales) with an RF of 14.6 %. In addition, six new yeast species and one new yeast genus were proposed. Our findings suggest that these plant species are good sources from which new yeast species may be isolated.

Numerous strains of a novel yeast were isolated in Louisiana, USA, from the leaves of several palustrine plants, most frequently from the invasive aquatic ferns Salvinia minima and S. molesta. This fungus produced fast-growing colonies that were grayish violet to dark blue in culture and rapidly reproduced via production of copious ballistoconidia that germinated to form pseudohyphae. Colonies produced many two-celled yeasts that were distinctly hourglass-or peanut-shaped, and occurred singly or in chains. Phylogenetic analyses of translation elongation factor 1-α, β-tubulin and the nuc rDNA regions encompassing 28S D1-D2 domains, 18S and the internal transcribed spacers 1 and 2, including 5.8S, indicate this fungus is a member of Ustilaginomycetes but holds an isolated position, distinct from the two currently recognized orders, Ustilaginales and Urocystales. Here we describe Violaceomycetales ord. nov., Violaceomycetaceae fam. nov. and Violaceomyces palustris gen. et sp. nov. for this unusual fungus.

The enigmatic species Ustilago tillandsiae is the only known smut fungus associated with Bromeliaceae. Its generic position is evaluated by morphological, physiological, and molecular phylogenetic analyses using large subunit rDNA sequences. Phylogenetic analyses resolved U. tillandsiae as a member of the Ustilaginales in a sister relationship to the lineage containing Tranzscheliella species. However, U. tillandsiae differs from Tranzscheliella species by the development of sori in flowers, a different structure of sori and a different type of spore ornamentation. Consequently, a new genus Pattersoniomyces is described to accommodate U. tillandsiae. The new combination Pattersoniomyces tillandsiae is substantiated. In the sexual stage (teleomorph), this species infects bromeliads: Tillandsia flabellata, Tillandsia leiboldiana, and Tillandsia sp. in Central America between southern Mexico and Costa Rica. The yeast stage (anamorph) of P. tillandsiae was found associated with the phylloplane of Canistrum improcerum and in water tanks (phytotelmata) of Vriesea minarum, two bromeliads occurring in northeast and southeast Brazil, respectively. The link between the teleomorph and anamorphic strains is supported by identical sequences of the D1/D2 domains of the large subunit rDNA. Pattersoniomyces represents the tenth endemic smut genus to the Americas, but the only one that occurs in both North and South America, being a truly neotropical genus. The host plant families of Ustilaginales are extended to the Bromeliaceae. As far as we know, Pattersoniomyces represents the single event of a host jump from Cyperaceae or Poaceae to Bromeliaceae, apparently without further species radiation on multiple bromeliad species and genera growing in South America.

Anther smuts on Silene acaulis and S. uniflora from the Outer Hebrides, Scotland, UK), are analysed using morphological and molecular techniques, and found to represent Microbotryum silenes-acaulis and M. silenes-inflatae, respectively. This is the first identification of caryophyllaceous anther smuts in the Outer Hebrides according to modern species concepts and the first report of Microbotryum silenes-acaulis confirmed by molecular analysis from the British Isles. Additionally, the genetic structure of Microbotryum silenes-acaulis, based on all currently available ITS sequences, is analysed and discussed. Seven ITS genotypes are determined for Microbotryum silenes-acaulis, including three genotypes in North America and four genotypes in Europe. Compared to European accessions, all North American accessions share specific nucleotides and are genetically divergent.

Sporisorium scitamineum, the sugarcane smut pathogen, relies predominantly on its secretome to successfully colonise its host, in accordance with other related smut fungi. Considering the significance of deciphering its secretome, we have examined alterations in the in vitro secretome of S. scitamineum in response to synthetic and sugarcane meristem tissue–amended growth media, so as to identify host signal responsive secretory proteins. Secretory proteins that were differentially abundant and exclusively secreted in response to host extract media were identified by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis coupled with MALDI-TOF/TOF MS. Of the 16 differentially abundant and exclusively secreted proteins, nine proteins were identified. Among which, six were related to cell wall modification, morphogenesis, polysaccharide degradation, and carbohydrate metabolism. In planta gene expression profiling indicated that five in vitro secreted proteins were expressed in distinct patterns by S. scitamineum during different stages of infection with relatively higher expression at 1 day after inoculation, suggesting that these proteins could be aiding S. scitamineum at early time points in penetration and colonisation of sugarcane cells. The present study has provided insights into the alterations occurring in the secretome of S. scitamineum at in vitro conditions and has resulted in the identification of secretory proteins that are possibly associated with pathogenicity of the sugarcane smut fungus.

Yeasts of the now unused asexually typified genus Pseudozyma belong to the smut fungi (Ustilaginales) and are mostly believed to be apathogenic asexual yeasts derived from smut fungi that have lost pathogenicity on plants. However, phylogenetic studies have shown that most Pseudozyma species are phylogenetically close to smut fungi parasitic to plants, suggesting that some of the species might represent adventitious isolations of the yeast morph of otherwise plant pathogenic smut fungi. However, there are some species, such as Moesziomyces aphidis (syn. Pseudozyma aphidis) that are isolated throughout the world and sometimes are also found in clinical samples and do not have a known plant pathogenic sexual morph. In this study, it is revealed by phylogenetic investigations that isolates of the biocontrol agent Moesziomyces aphidis are interspersed with M. bullatus sexual lineages, suggesting conspecificity. This raises doubts regarding the apathogenic nature of asexual morphs previously placed in Pseudozyma, but suggests that there might also be pathogenic sexual morph counterparts for those species known only from asexual morphs. The finding that several additional species currently only known from their yeast morphs are embedded within the genus Moesziomyces, suggests that the yeast morph might play a more dominant role in this genus as compared to other genera of Ustilaginaceae. In addition, phylogenetic reconstructions demonstrated that Moesziomyces bullatus has a narrow host range and that some previously described but not widely used species names should be applied for Moesziomyces on other host genera than Echinochloa.

The author has found Puccinia asteris-olpini on Aster alpinus - a species new to Poland, and five species of fungi on host new to Poland: Anthracoidea caricis on Carer pallescens, Entyloma doctylidis on Dactylis glomerata, Schizonella melanogramma on Carex ornithopoda, Urocystis poae on Poa trivialis, Ustilago striiformis on Agropyron repens and Sesleria coerulea. Other species are rare in Polish mycoflora and known only from isolated stands.

Interactive identification keys for Australian smut fungi (Ustilaginomycotina and Pucciniomycotina, Microbotryales) and rust fungi (Pucciniomycotina, Pucciniales) are available online at http://collections.daff.qld.gov.au. The keys were built using Lucid software, and facilitate the identification of all known Australian smut fungi (317 species in 37 genera) and 100 rust fungi (from approximately 360 species in 37 genera). The smut and rust keys are illustrated with over 1,600 and 570 images respectively. The keys are designed to assist a wide range of end-users including mycologists, plant health diagnosticians, biosecurity scientists, plant pathologists, and university students. The keys are dynamic and will be regularly updated to include taxonomic changes and incorporate new detections, taxa, distributions and images. Researchers working with Australian smut and rust fungi are encouraged to participate in the on-going development and improvement of these keys.

New localities are reported of rare species of Erysiphaceae, Uredinales and Ustilaginales Eleven species, marked are new in the flora of Poland, plant marked are new hosts of fungi in Poland. The more noteworthy new hosts are: Sphaerotheca delphinii (Delphinium exysepalum), Urocystis poae (Poa angustifolia) and Ustilago lolii (Lolium remotum). The perithecia of Erysiphe galii on Asperula odorata have been recorder in Poland for the first time.

The new collections of Anthracoidea buxbaumii Kukkonen on Carex buxbaumii Wahlenb. and Anthracoidea hostianae B.Lindeb. ex Nannf. on Carex lepidocarpa Tausch recorded in the calcareous mires in South-East Poland are described, illustrated and discussed. The holotype of the latter smut is also re-examined, described and illustrated in detail. Anthracoidea buxbaumii is reported for the second time from Poland on a new host plant. Anthracoidea hostianae is new to Poland. The variability of spore sizes of both species is discussed. The conspecificity of Anthracoidea buxbaumii and A. hostianae suggested in the literature is analyzed.

Cintractia carpophila var. kenaica, a neglected taxon described from Alaska more than half a century ago, is re-described and illustrated. Its nomenclature and taxonomic status are discussed. This smut species is characterised by small spores with a very finely verruculose surface rarely enclosed by a thin, hyaline, mucilaginous sheath, a wall with 2-5 distinct internal swellings, and parasitism on Carex micropoda (Carex sect. Dornera). It is reallocated to the genus Anthracoidea as a distinct species, Anthracoidea kenaica comb. nov., and assigned to Anthracoidea section Leiosporae which includes species having smooth or very finely verruculose spores. Morphological and biological characteristics of the five most similar Anthracoidea species are contrasted and discussed.

The morphology and phylogeny of Anthracoidea on Carex meadii (sect. Paniceae) collected in Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, USA, were studied by light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and LSU rDNA sequence analyses. As a result A. caricis-meadii sp. nov. is described. The fungus differs morphologically from Anthracoidea laxae and A. paniceae, which also occur on sedges from the section Paniceae. Molecular analyses support the placement of the latter species and Anthracoidea caricis-meadii in different phylogenetic lineages. Because of morphological discrepancies in the literature, A. laxae and A. paniceae also are described and illustrated based on re-examination of respective holotype and isotype specimens.

The genera Ustilago, Sporisorium and Macalpinomyces are a polyphyletic complex of plant pathogenic fungi. The four main morphological characters used to define these genera have been considered homoplasious and not useful for resolving the complex. This study re-evaluates character homology and discusses the use of these characters for defining monophyletic groups recovered from a reconstructed phylogeny using four nuclear loci. Generic delimitation of smut fungi based on their hosts is also discussed as a means for identifying genera within this group. Morphological characters and host specificity can be used to circumscribe genera within the Ustilago-Sporisorium-Macalpinomyces complex.

The paper presents new records of three rare species of smut fungi in Poland. Anthracoidea buxbaumii was collected in new localities, A. caricis collected on Carex montana is a new fungus/host combination in Poland, and Urocystis ranunculi-auricomi was found in the country after almost 50 years.

The generic position of the enigmatic smut fungus Ustilago solida is evaluated applying molecular phylogenetic analyses using ITS and LSU rDNA sequences as well as light and scanning electron microscopical investigations of several collections of this species. Ustilago solida has previously been included in five different genera (Ustilago, Urocystis, Sorosporium, Cintractia, and Tolyposporium), however, molecular analyses revealed that this smut does not belong to any of these genera and represents a distinct ustilaginalean lineage. The closest known phylogenetic relative of Ustilago solida is Heterotolyposporium lepidospermatis, the type species of the monotypic genus Heterotolyposporium. Both smuts differ considerably in both LSU sequences and in several morphological traits, such as the structure of sori and the characteristics of spore balls. Accordingly, the new genus Shivasia is described to accommodate Ustilago solida. This smut infects different Schoenus species (Cyperaceae) in Australia and New Zealand. The description of Shivasia increases the number of endemic smut genera in Australasia to ten. Compared to all other continents the number of endemic smut genera is exceptionally high, which may point at fast evolving characters and/or may be caused by the regional history, including the long-term geographic isolation of Australasia.

Three species of yeasts are taxonomically described for strains isolated from marine environments. Candida spencermartinsiae sp. nov. (type strain CBS 10894T =NRRL Y-48663T) and Candida taylorii sp. nov. (type strain CBS 8508T =NRRL Y-27213T) are anamorphic ascomycetous yeasts in a phylogenetic cluster of marine yeasts in the Debaryomyces/Lodderomyces clade of the Saccharomycetales. The two species were isolated from multiple locations among coral reefs and mangrove habitats. Pseudozyma abaconensis sp. nov. (type strain CBS 8380T =NRRL Y-17380T) is an anamorphic basidiomycete that is related to the smut fungi of the genus Ustilago in the Ustilaginales. P. abaconensis was collected from waters adjacent to a coral reef.

Sporisorium warambiense is described and illustrated from the ovaries of Xerochloa laniflora from the Pilbara region of Western Australia. The smut fungus is characterized by sori restricted to the ovaries, presence of three simple, stout, narrowing columellae, dark reddish-brown spore balls, dimorphic spores (darker outer spores and lighter inner spores), and the absence of sterile cells. The differences between Sporisorium warambiense and three other smuts that infect Xerochloa (Sporisorium xerofasciculatum, Tilletia xerochloae, and Ustilago xerochloae), as well as comparable Sporisorium species on other grass genera from the tribe Paniceae are discussed. All Xerochloa smuts are endemic to Australia.

Two smut fungi on two different species of Ischaemum are taxonomically assessed based on newly studied collections. Sporisorium austroafricanum M. Pitek is described and illustrated as a new species infecting Ischaemum fasciculatum in South Africa. Among the smut fungi described on Ischaemum, it is similar only to Sporisorium ischaemi-anthephoroides, from which it differs by the macroscopic appearance of sori and by larger sterile cells with thicker walls. Tolyposporium bogoriense originally described as occurring on Panicum sp. in Indonesia (Java) appeared to be on Ischaemum cf. timorense and identical with Sporisorium flagellatum, the latter having priority. The morphology of this species is described and illustrated based on the holotype of T. bogoriense.

Teliospores, hyphal septa, cellular interactions, and nucleotide sequences from the ITS and LSU region of the rRNA gene of specimens of Ustilago vaillantii s. lat. on Muscari and Scilla species were examined and compared with findings in other Ustilaginomycotina. The data show that U. vaillantii s. lat. specimens belong to the Urocystales and represent the sister group of the Urocystaceae, standing well apart from Vankya heufleri and V. ornithogali. Within the Urocystales, U. vaillantii s. lat. is unique in sporulating in the anthers of the host plants. Accordingly, the new genus Antherospora is proposed for the anther smuts on Hyacinthaceae. In addition, our data show that there is a stringent phylogenetic correlation between the specimens of Antherospora and their respective hosts. Thus, the specimens on Scilla spp. as well as those on Muscari spp. form highly supported monophyla. Furthermore, on Scilla a phylogenetic dichotomy exists between the specimens infecting Scilla bifolia and those infecting S. vindobonensis, with the specimens of the two host species showing a difference of 17 bp in the ITS nucleotide sequences. Therefore, A. vindobonensis is described as a new species, and A. scillae and A. vaillantii are proposed as new combinations. Consequently, because of their sporulation in anthers and their parasitism on species of other genera of the Hyacinthaceae, Ustilago albucae, U. peglerae, U. tourneuxii, and U. urgineae are also ascribed to Antherospora as new combinations. Descriptions are given for all species.

There is an increasing recognition that individual‐level spatial and temporal heterogeneity may play an important role in metapopulation dynamics and persistence. In particular, the patterns of contact within and between aggregates (e.g., demes) at different spatial and temporal scales may reveal important mechanisms governing metapopulation dynamics. Using 7 years of data on the interaction between the anther smut fungus (Microbotryum violaceum) and fire pink (Silene virginica), we show how the application of spatially explicit and implicit network models can be used to make accurate predictions of infection dynamics in spatially structured populations. Explicit consideration of both spatial and temporal organization reveals the role of each in spreading risk for both the host and the pathogen. This work suggests that the application of spatially explicit network models can yield important insights into how heterogeneous structure can promote the persistence of species in natural landscapes.

Two strains belonging to a novel anamorphic species, Pseudozyma graminicola, were isolated from the leaves of herbaceous plants in the Moscow region (Russia). This species was genetically distinct from all known Pseudozyma species, based on sequence divergence in the D1/D2 domains of the large subunit rDNA and the ITS region. It is related phylogenetically to species of the genus Sporisorium (Ustilaginaceae, Ustilaginales). Physiological characteristics distinguishing this novel species from the other species of the genus Pseudozyma are presented.

A novel Anthracoidea species, A. pamiroalaica on the endemic sedge Carex koshewnikowii, is described and illustrated from the Pamir Alai Mts in Tajikistan (Central Asia). The new species is phenotypically nearly identical with Anthracoidea sempervirentis, but clearly divergent genetically. Phylogenetic analyses based on LSU sequences showed affinity of Anthracoidea pamiroalaica to A. baldensis, A. rupestris, A. capillaris, and A. vankyi infecting host sedges in different Carex sections (Baldenses, Rupestres, Chlorostachyae, and Phaestoglochin, respectively), but not to A. misandrae, and A. sempervirentis, two sequenced species parasitic on host species from the section Aulocystis. This phylogenetic placement is briefly discussed in the context of Anthracoidea evolution.

© 2015 Botanical Society of America. PREMISE OF THE STUDY: Fahrenholz’s rule states that common ancestors of extant parasites were parasites of the common ancestors of extant hosts. Consequently, parasite phylogeny should mirror host phylogeny. The smut fungi genus Anthracoidea (Anthracoideaceae) is mainly hosted by species of the genus Carex (Cyperaceae). Whether smut fungi phylogeny mirrors sedge phylogeny is still under debate. METHODS: The nuclear large subunit DNA region (LSU; 57 accessions) from 31 Anthracoidea species and the ITS, ETS, and trnL-F spacer– trnL intron complex from 41 Carex species were used to infer the phylogenetic history of parasites and their hosts using a maximum likelihood approach. Event-based and distance-based cophylogenetic methods were used to test the hypothesis of whether the phylogeny of smut fungi from the genus Anthracoidea matches the phylogeny of the sedge Carex species they host. RESULTS: Cophylogenetic reconstructions taking into account phylogenetic uncertainties based on event-based analyses demonstrated that the Anthracoidea phylogeny has signifi cant topological congruence with the phylogeny of their Carex hosts. A distance-based test was also signifi cant; therefore, the phylogenies of Anthracoide and Carex are partially congruent. CONCLUSIONS: The phylogenetic congruence of Anthracoidea and Carex is partially based on smut fungi species being preferentially hosted by closely related sedges (host conservatism). In addition, many diff erent events rather than only codivergence events are inferred. All of this evidence suggests that host-shift speciation rather than cospeciation seems to explain the cophylogenetic patterns of Anthracoidea and Carex.

The subphylum Ustilaginomycotina comprises about 1500 species of basidiomycetous plant parasites. They are usually dimorphic, producing a saprobic haploid yeast phase and a parasitic dikaryotic hyphal phase. With only a few exceptions they occur on angiosperms and are found mainly on members of the Poaceae and Cyperaceae. Molecular methods recently have shown that anamorphic species such as members of Malassezia or Tilletiopsis should be included in this group. Here we present the most recent consensus as to the phylogeny of this group and discuss its relevant characteristics. Our morphological, ultrastructural and molecular phylogenetic data point to the existence of three lines of Ustilaginomycotina: Entorrhizomycetes, Ustilaginomycetes and Exobasidiomycetes. Entorrhizomycetes is represented by Entorrhizales, a small group of unusual teliosporic root parasites on Juncaceae and Cyperaceae. Ustilaginomycetes, to which the majority of Ustilaginomycotina belong, is a teliosporic and gastroid group characterized by the presence of enlarged interaction zones. Ustilaginomycetes is dichotomous, consisting of predominantly holobasidiate Urocystales and predominantly phragmobasidiate Ustilaginales. Exobasidiomycetes forms local interaction zones. This group is predominantly holobasidiate and consists of teliosporic Doassansiales, Entylomatales, Georgefischeriales and Tilletiales, nonteliosporic Ceraceosorales, Exobasidiales and Microstromatales, as well as the anamorphic Malasseziales. Entorrhizomycetes, Exobasidiomycetes and Ceraceosorales are proposed as new taxa, and the description of Ustilaginomycetes is emended.

The current surveillance protocol for Karnal bunt of wheat in most countries, including the USA, European Union (EU), and Australia, involves the tentative identification of the spores based on morphology followed by a molecular analysis. Germination of spores is required for confirmation which incurs a delay of about two weeks, which is highly unsatisfactory in a quarantine situation. A two-step PCR protocol using FRET probes for the direct detection and identification of Tilletia indica from a very few number of spores (< or =10) is presented. The protocol involves amplification of the ITS1 DNA segment in the highly repeated rDNA unit from any Tilletia species, followed by FRET analysis to detect and unequivocably distinguish T. indica and the closely related T. walkeri. This rapid, highly sensitive, fluorescent molecular tool is species-specific, and could supersede the conventional microscopic diagnosis used in a quarantine surveillance protocol for Karnal bunt which is often confounded by overlapping morphological characters of closely related species.

Among basidiomycetous yeast strains isolated from wilting leaves of various plants in China, two groups of Pseudozyma strains were distinguished from the others by morphological and physiological characterization. Molecular taxonomic analysis based on sequencing of the large subunit (26S) rRNA gene D1/D2 domain and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region confirmed that the two groups represent two novel species. They are proposed as Pseudozyma hubeiensis sp. nov. (type strain WS 6.4T = AS 2.2493T = CBS 10077T) and Pseudozyma shanxiensis sp. nov. (type strain SH 64T = AS 2.2523T = CBS 10075T). The phylogenetic relationships of the novel species with described Pseudozyma species and related ustilagomycetous teleomorphs were analysed based on the combined sequences of ITS and D1/D2. The phenotypic diagnosis of Pseudozyma was emended because of the negative inositol assimilation reaction of P. hubeiensis sp. nov., which was closely related to the type species of the genus, Pseudozyma prolifica.

The diversity of epiphytic yeasts from sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum Linn.) phyllospheres in Thailand was investigated by culture-independent method based on the analysis of the D1/D2 domains of the large subunit rRNA gene sequences. Forty-five samples of sugarcane leaf were collected randomly from ten provinces in Thailand. A total of 1342 clones were obtained from 45 clone libraries. 426 clones (31.7 %) were closely related to yeast strains in the GenBank database, and they were clustered into 31 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) with a similarity threshold of 99 %. All OTU sequences were classified in phylum Basidiomycota which were closely related to 11 yeast species in seven genera including Cryptococcus flavus, Hannaella coprosmaensis, Rhodotorula taiwanensis, Jaminaea angkoreiensis, Malassezia restricta, Pseudozyma antarctica, Pseudozyma aphidis, Pseudozyma hubeiensis, Pseudozyma prolifica, Pseudozyma shanxiensis, and Sporobolomyces vermiculatus. The most predominant yeasts detected belonged to Ustilaginales with 89.4 % relative frequency and the prevalent yeast genus was Pseudozyma. However, the majority were unable to be identified as known yeast species and these sequences may represent the sequences of new yeast taxa. In addition, The OTU that closely related to P. prolifica was commonly detected in sugarcane phyllosphere.

Combined analyses of ITS and LSU rDNA sequences were utilized to resolve the phylogenetic relationships of 98 members of the smut genera Lundquistia, Melanopsichium, Moesziomyces, Macalpinomyces, Sporisorium, and Ustilago (Basidiomycota: Ustilaginales). Minimum Evolution and Bayesian inference of phylogeny resolve three major groups of almost identical composition: Sporisorium, Ustilago, and a basal assemblage of both Ustilago and Sporisorium species. Macalpinomyces deserves generic rank regarding its type species M. eriachnes; all other Macalpinomyces species of our study clearly turn out to be part of Ustilago or Sporisorium. Lundquistia evidently belongs to Sporisorium. Moesziomyces, probably paraphyletic, stands basal to all other genera. Interestingly, Melanopsichium belongs to the Ustilago clade, being the only member of the ingroup not parasitizing on Poaceae. The patchy distribution of commonly used morphological characters along our phylograms points to their variability and dependence on the host's morphological traits instead of being valuable for resolving parasite phylogeny. The new combination: Sporisorium fascicularis comb. nov. (syn. Lundquistia.fascicularis) is made.

In an effort to meet the stringent requirements towards registration of microorganisms as biopesticides, several molecular techniques were tested as part of a strategy to develop a quality control system for Pseudozyma flocculosa, the active ingredient of Sporodex, a biofungicide used for the control of powdery mildew fungi. In the first approach, multiplex PCR fingerprints generated by three sets of primers allowed differentiation of several isolates of P. flocculosa from closely related species, or genera such as Tilletiopsis. The same set of primers was used in quality control experiments and revealed fungal contamination that was otherwise not observed by standard culture and microscopy techniques. In addition, the use of random amplified microsatellites generated by (GT)n and (CCA)n primers was applied as a measure of possible genetic variation over 65 repeated subcultures of P. flocculosa. Finally, a novel technique was developed and named reverse intron PCR (RIP), based on the presence of an intron revealed by partial sequencing of mtLSU of P. flocculosa. RIP allowed not only differentiation of P. flocculosa from other species but also separated the isolates of different origins within P. flocculosa. This new technique could find useful applications in phylogenetic studies of closely related fungal species and isolates.

The phylogenetic relationship of 52 specimens representing 30 species of Anthracoidea (Ustilaginales) was investigated by molecular analyses using sequence data from the large subunit (LSU) of nuclear rDNA. Phylogenetic trees were inferred with neighbour-joining (NJ), maximum parsimony (MP), and Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods. The results are discussed with respect to the species concept and the subdivision of the genus into subgenera and sections. Collections from different hosts and localities were compared. Our analyses can neither support nor significantly reject the hypothesis of the bipartition of the genus Anthracoidea. Thus, the representatives of the subgenus Proceres appeared in the NJ analysis as a moderately supported monophylum, whereas MCMC analysis revealed a polyphyletic topology for this group. Paraphyly of the subgenus Anthracoidea was supported by all methods used. Sections Echinosporae and Leiosporae were each represented by two species in our analyses which grouped together with high support. Section Anthracoidea should be restricted to a highly supported group with extremely irregular to angular teliospore shape. However, these three sections do not cover the whole diversity of the subgenus Anthracoidea. Molecular data largely supported the traditional circumscription of species, and species delimitations are discussed.

Summary The potential environmental impact of genetically modified (GM) plants is a major concern arising from the use of these novel crops. Therefore an ecological risk assessment should be done prior to the wide scale use of a GM crop. Soil microarthropods are a group of non-target organisms that should be considered as part of this risk assessment due to their importance for the decomposition process of organic matter and due to their intense exposure to crop residues in the soil. In the study described here, two different transgenic wheat varieties were used that express a gene from an Ustilago maydis -infecting virus. The gene product (KP4 protein) is known for its growth inhibitory activity against fungi in the Ustilaginales. These KP4-transgenic wheat plants show an enhanced resistance against stinking smut, Tilletia tritici . We describe different laboratory bioassays and a glasshouse study where we tested effects of the two transgenic KP4-wheat varieties on the Collembola Folsomia candida . Feeding bioassays in which dried root material from transgenic and non-transgenic wheat plants was fed to individual F. candida revealed no effect of transformation or wheat variety on any of the life-history parameters evaluated. The comparison to an optimal food source (yeast) showed that certain parameters, i.e. insect development, egg cluster size and insect weight, are very sensitive parameters to detect differences in food quality. Other parameters including egg development and egg viability, revealed no difference between plant material and yeast fed F. candida . The glasshouse study showed that population development of F. candida did not differ between pots in which transgenic or non-transgenic plants of the two varieties were grown. However, a significant variety effect was detected.

Three species of smut fungi (Ustilaginales, Basidiomycota) of economic importance, Ustilago maydis on corn, U. scitaminea on sugar cane, and U. esculenta on Zizania latifolia, were investigated in order to define their systematic position using morphological characteristics of the sori, ultrastructure of teliospore walls, and molecular data of the LSU rDNA. LSU rDNA suggests that U. maydis and U. scitaminea belong to the genus Sporisorium. This has already been proposed for U. scitaminea, which develops sori with whip-shaped axes corresponding to columellae. U. maydis and U. scitaminea, like typical species of Sporisorium, present peridia and columellae in their sori. Therefore, U. scitaminea is called Sporisorium scitamineum. U. maydis, however, is not placed in the genus Sporisorium here, because ongoing investigation of molecular data from the ITS rDNA region yields contradictory results and because the name Sporisorium maydis is occupied by an imperfect fungus. U. esculenta is recognized as Yenia esculenta. This placement in a separate genus is based on molecular data and on unique teliospore ultrastructure, i.e. apically enlarged, partly confluent warts developing on a strongly folded plasmalemma, and the exosporium and endosporium forming part of the ornamentation.

Smut fungi are well-suited to investigate the ecology and evolution of plant pathogens, as they are strictly biotrophic, yet cultivable on media. Here we report the genome sequence of Melanopsichium pennsylvanicum, closely related to Ustilago maydis and other Poaceae-infecting smuts, but parasitic to a dicot plant. To explore the evolutionary patterns resulting from host adaptation after this huge host jump, the genome of Me. pennsylvanicum was sequenced and compared with the genomes of U. maydis, Sporisorium reilianum ,a ndU. hordei. Although all four genomes had a similar completeness in CEGMA (Core Eukaryotic Genes Mapping Approach) analysis, gene absence was highest in Me. pennsylvanicum, and most pronounced in putative secreted proteins, which are often considered as effector candidates. In contrast, the amount of private genes was similar among the species, highlighting that gene loss rather than gene gain is the hallmark of adaptation after the host jump to the dicot host. Our analyses revealed a trend of putative effectors to be next to another putative effector, but the majority of these are not in clusters and thus the focus on pathogenicity clusters might not be appropriate for all smut genomes. Positive selection studies revealed that Me. pennsylvanicum has the highest number and proportion of genes under positive selection. In general, putative effectors showed a higher proportion of positively selected genes than noneffector candidates. The 248 putative secreted effectors found in all four smut genomes might constitute a core set needed for pathogenicity, whereas those 92 that are found in all grass-parasitic smuts but have no ortholog in Me. pennsylvanicum might constitute a set of effectors important for successful colonization of grass hosts.

The new smut fungus, Anthracoidea transberingiana attacking ovaries of Carex pauciflora, is described and illustrated from Beringia (Alaska and Kamchatka). The new species is compared with Anthracoidea caricis-pauciflorae infecting the same host plant species predominantly in northern Europe, from which it differs in having smaller spores, thinner spore walls, 2–3 weakly visible internal swellings and somewhat less prominent spore ornamentation.