Phaeomoniellales sp. NC0930
Phaeomoniellales sp. NC0930 was isolated in culture from
surface-sterilized, decomposing leaf tissue of mountain laurel,
Kalmia latifolia (Ericaceae), collected from leaf litter
near Highlands, North Carolina as part of a study examining
endophytic and saprotrophic fungal communities across North America
(U'Ren et al., 2012; U’Ren & Arnold, 2016). We identified
this isolate as an unidentified species of Phaeomoniellales
(Pezizomycotina, Eurotiomycetes) via ITS-partial LSU rDNA
sequencing. Phaeomoniellales is a recently described order that is
sister to the clade including Verrucariales and Chaetothyriales
(Chen et al., 2015). Phaeomoniellales is comprised primarily of
endophytes and plant pathogens, including members of the pathogenic
genus Phaeomoniella. NC0930 represents a clade with
endophytic and saprotrophic members, and thus is particularly
useful for comparative genomic analyses to examine the evolution of
ecological modes in this diverse lineage.
References:
Chen, K.-H., J. Miadlikowska, K. Molnár, A.E. Arnold, J.M. U’Ren, E. Gaya, C. Gueidan & F. Lutzoni. 2015. Phylogenetic analyses of eurotiomycetous endophytes reveal their close affinities to Chaetothyriales, Eurotiales, and a new order – Phaeomoniellales. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 85: 117–130
U’Ren, J.M., F. Lutzoni, J. Miadlikowska, A. Laetsch & A.E. Arnold. 2012. Host- and geographic structure of endophytic and endolichenic fungi at a continental scale. American Journal of Botany. 99: 898–914.
U’Ren, J.M. & A.E. Arnold. 2016. Diversity, taxonomic composition, and functional aspects of fungal communities in living, senescent, and fallen leaves at five sites across North America. PeerJ. e2768.
