Dorothy E. Tuthill

Aspergillus: An Overview

Since 1965, approximately 80 species in Aspergillus have been described as new and thousands of publications have contributed to our knowledge of biochemical and ultrastructural features. The group concept, developed in the monographs of 1926, 1945 and 1965 has been a tremendous aid in species identification. Sixteen of Raper and Fennell’s 18 groups have been validated by the contributions of the last 20 years. Only the A. ornatus and A. wentii groups appear to be heterogenous. An analysis of the Aspergilli listed in 62 recent soil surveys has revealed highest absolute and relative numbers of species in the subtropics, particularly in cultivated soils, saline soils and subtropical deciduous forest soils. In temperate regions, highest numbers of species have been reported from desert soils and certain grassland soils. Unusual species in the soils of western US intermountain basins may have evolved following early migration, then isolation and specification through the Pleistocene.

Monophyly and Phylogenetic Relationships in Lymania (Bromeliaceae: Bromelioideae) Based on Morphology and Chloroplast DNA Sequences

Abstract A cladistic analysis of Lymania was conducted using morphology and sequences from three chloroplast DNA regions: the matK coding region and the psbA-trnH and trnL-trnF intergenic spacers. The monophyly of the genus and the phylogenetic relationships among related genera were examined. Of the nine Lymania species, eight are endemic to southern Bahia, Brazil. Lymania is the first genus in Bromeliaceae subfamily Bromelioideae to be subjected to a combined morphological and molecular analysis. The genera of Bromelioideae have been particularly difficult to classify and there has been disagreement about their interrelationships and monophyly. Morphological data show better resolution than molecular data alone. The partition homogeneity test supported a combined analysis of the two data sets, yielding a single most parsimonious tree. In the combined analysis, monophyly of Lymania is moderately supported, and the genus is closely related to species of Aechmea subg. Lamprococcus and subg. subg. Ortigiesia. The morphological distinctiveness coupled with low molecular divergence indicates relatively recent and rapid speciation within Lymania. The combined analysis of morphological and molecular data as done in this study provides a framework for future research on other Bromelioideae genera that could foster better taxonomic rearrangements.

Taxonomy of the Penicillium miczynskii group based on morphology and secondary metabolites

Multivariate analyses (cluster and correspondence) were used to assess the taxonomic structure of 34 isolates of Penicillium miczynskii scored for 95 binary characters. Six isolates of P. raistrickii and P. rolfsii were added solely for the purpose of comparison. The characters used were 38 micromorphological, 15 cultural and 42 secondary metabolite characters. With just one exception, allocation of isolates to clusters was equal in the separate analyses using morphological and secondary metabolite data. The combined data set, using 95 characters, resulted in clearly-defined clusters interpretable as species on the basis of the distribution of ex-type cultures. Four species were accepted: P. miczynskii, P. manginii, P. soppii and P. atrosanguineum. Two additional species, P. syriacum and P. chrzaszczii , represented only by ex- type cultures, were interpreted as a nomen ambiguum and a form of uncertain taxonomic status, respectively. Brief descriptions, illustrations and a synoptic key are included to aid identification of the accepted species.

The Seeds of Catopsis (Bromeliaceae: Tillandsioideae)

Abstract Seed morphology has been an important taxonomic character for the Bromeliaceae, with three distinct seed types, naked, winged, and plumose, corresponding to the traditionally recognized subfamilies, Bromelioideae, Pitcairnioideae, and Tillandsioideae, respectively. In Tillandsioideae, the type of plumose seed appendage is used, in conjunction with other characters, to help circumscribe genera. For example, Catopsis, a genus of approximately 20 species, is characterized by having an apical coma of hairs, in contrast to Guzmania, Vriesea, and Tillandsia where seeds have a basal coma of hairs. The individual hairs, apical or basal, that comprise the plumose coma of the Tillandsioideae seeds have been assumed to be homologous structures. Scanning electron and light microscopy were used to examine the details of seed hair development in representative species of Catopsis and Tillandsia. Observations made in this study confirm published details of the basal seed hair development for Tillandsia. The apical seed hairs characteristic for Catopsis are shown to have a distinctly different ontogeny, and are judged to be synapomorphic for the genus. The apical and basal plumose seed appendages diagnostic for subfamily Tillandsioideae are analogous, but are not homologous in the ontogenetic or positional sense.

Genetic variation and recombination in Penicillium miczynskii and Eupenicillium species

Reproduction in the genus Penicillium is thought to be completely asexual. Sexual reproduction, as occurs in the related genus Eupenicillium, is thought to provide evolutionary benefits because it allows for new combinations of alleles and therefore increases the amount of variation within the species. This hypothesis was tested using inter-simple sequence repeats (ISSRs) to assess the amount of intraspecific and intra-population variation within Penicillium miczynskii and the closely related Eupenicillium shearii. The data for both genera were also used to test for clonal reproduction against the null hypothesis of panmixis, using measures of genotypic diversity, linkage disequilibrium and phylogenetic tree length. The ISSR fingerprints indicated that the 70 Eupenicillium strains actually included two distinct species, Eupenicillium shearii and Eupenicillium tropicum sp. nov., each represented by populations in both Costa Rica and India. While none of the species or populations were found to be randomly recombining, the relative strength of the clonal component differed among the species. Penicillium miczynskii had the smallest clonal component, with the highest genotypic diversity, lowest Index of Association, 40 % of alleles non-randomly associated, and phylogenetic tree length closer to that of recombined data sets than to the minimum possible. Eupenicillium tropicum showed nearly complete clonal reproduction with the lowest genotypic diversity and 100 % of alleles non-randomly associated in both populations. On the other hand, it also had the greatest amount of intraspecific variation, with as little as 38 % similarity among strains. The results indicate that Penicilliumspecies may, on rare occasion, genetically recombine; the regular occurrence of meiosis in the life cycle of Eupenicilliumspecies does not facilitate recombination; and the greatest amount of genetic variation was not associated with recombination, but with clonal propagation.

Eupenicillium bovifimosum, a new species from dry cow manure in Wyoming

A new species, Eupenicillium bovifimosum, was isolated from dry cow manure collected in Wyoming, USA. The outstanding morphological characteristics of this species are its robust, dense penicilli bearing long, broad columns of conidia, and its smooth-walled, unflanged ascospores which are produced within 3 wk of inoculation onto MEA. The new species produces penicillic acid, a fumagillin-like molecule, patulodin-like compounds CK2108A and CK2108B, and a compound resembling 2-[(2-hydroxypropionyl)amino]benzamide. Phylogenetic analysis using 1100 bases of the ITS and LSU DNA regions indicates that E. bovifimosum is most closely related to E. baarnense, and also to E. crustaceum, E. egyptiacum, and E. tularense.

Colour standards: a review and evaluation in relation to Penicillium taxonomy

Comparison of Munsell notations for colours in five copies of the atlas by Ridgway (1912) has revealed a remarkable overall consistency in hue. Variation among the copies was less than one Munsell hue (2·5% of the spectrum) in 83% of the 1140 comparisons and exceeded two Munsell hues in only eight of the comparisons of each record with every other record for the given colour. One hundred of the 136 colours examined were low chroma colours in four yellow-green through blue-green hues. The other compared colours, in 36 different hues, were high chroma (ungreyed), midvalue members. An unexpected finding, in a cursory examination of the second edition of the Methuen Handbook of Colour , was discovery of edition-related discrepancies in hue for several colours. The acceptable manuals for finely-drawn distinctions in hue, value and chroma (1000–1500 colours) are the Munsell Book of Color and Color Standards and Color Nomenclature by Robert Ridgway. Notations for equivalent colours in the Munsell and Methuen (third edition) systems are tabulated for 64 Ridgway colours: midvalue-high chroma representatives of the 36 hues and 28 yellow-green through blue-green colours which are common conidial colours in Penicillium .

A new species from tropical soils, Eupenicillium tropicum

Forty-three strains of Eupenicillium tropicum sp. nov. were isolated from soils collected in India, Costa Rica and Galapagos, Ecuador. The species is characterized by biverticillate penicilli, slightly rough, subglobose to ovate conidia, brownish cleistothecia that become brown-gray with age, and ascospores with two equatorial flanges and slightly roughened valves. All strains produced a large number of indole alkaloids, and many types of unknown secondary metabolites with characteristic chromophores were produced by a majority of strains. Eupenicillium tropicum is morphologically most similar to E. shearii, but based on ITS-LSU sequences, is most closely related to Penicillium citrinum, P. sartoryi and P. westlingii. Eupenicillium shearii strains consistently produce paxillin, paspalinine and shearinins, while the latter three penicillia all produce citrinin consistently.

Aspergillus Sepultus, A New Species in the Aspergillus Ochraceus Group

Coloniae in agaro Czapekii 1.8-3 cm diam post dies 10 sub calore 25 C crescentes; capitula co? nidica sulphurea deinde fulva, sed saepe tecta supercrescentibus myceliis; facies reversa sine colore, deinde subalutacea vel olivacea. Capitula conidica radiantia, usque ad 450 n? diam, biseriata; conidiophorae plerumque 350-700 (-3800) x 9-15 Mm, membranis 0.6-3 um cras? sis, enodes, plerumque sine colore; vesiculae glo? bosae, 35-62(-86) um diam, membranis aequaliter 2 um crassis; metulae primo prope 68 x 4-5 Mm, deinde 12-30 x 6-10 um, non septatae; phialides plerumque 3-4 in quaque metula insidentes, 7-10 x 3-4 um; conidia laevia vel subrugosa, globosa, 3.5-4.5 um, plerumque 4 um diam, membranis non crassis. Cultura typica: RMF 7602, anno 1984 collecta et isolata e subtili luto ventis deposito ante XII milibus annorum sub humo circa duos cubitos, prope Ida Grove, Iowa, U.S.A.; in herbario NY deposita.