Diversity of Ascomycota in Jilin: Introducing Novel Woody Litter Taxa in Cucurbitariaceae

Summary

This research discovered and described four new species of fungi found on dead wood in northeastern China. The study combined traditional microscopic examination with modern DNA analysis to identify these previously unknown species. The findings help expand our understanding of fungal diversity and improve methods for identifying different fungal species. Impacts on everyday life: – Contributes to better understanding of natural decomposition processes in temperate forests – Improves methods for identifying and classifying fungi, which is important for both research and practical applications – Helps document biodiversity in northeastern China, supporting conservation efforts – Advances our knowledge of fungi living on dead wood, which play crucial roles in nutrient cycling – Provides baseline data for potential future applications in biotechnology or forest management

Background

Cucurbitariaceae has high biodiversity worldwide on various hosts and is distributed in tropical and temperate regions. The family is characterized by clustered ascomata, scattered black shiny ostioles surrounded by olivaceous-to-brown hyphae, and yellow-to-dark olivaceous brown muriform ascospores. China’s Jilin province, located in the northeast, has a temperate climate with hot dry summers and harsh winters reaching -20°C, providing unique conditions for fungal diversity.

Objective

To investigate and characterize novel fungal taxa in the family Cucurbitariaceae from woody litter collected in Changchun, Jilin Province, China through morphological and molecular analyses. Additionally, to determine the best DNA markers for species-level identification in Cucurbitariaceae using Assemble Species by Automatic Partitioning (ASAP) analyses.

Results

Four novel species were identified and characterized: Allocucurbitaria mori, Parafenestella changchunensis, P. ulmi and P. ulmicola. The β-tubulin gene was determined to be the best marker for species-level identification in Cucurbitariaceae, followed by rpb2, tef1-α, ITS and LSU based on ASAP analyses. This represents the first report of Allocucurbitaria on Morus tree and Parafenestella on Ulmus trees.

Conclusion

The study expanded the known diversity of Cucurbitariaceae by describing four new species from woody litter in northeastern China. The β-tubulin gene was identified as the most reliable genetic marker for species identification in this family. The findings suggest that extensive investigations in temperate regions would likely reveal numerous additional Parafenestella taxa.
Scroll to Top