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New Species of Ascomycetes from Two Hypersaline Endorheic Lagoon Complexes in Zaragoza Province (Aragon Community, Spain)

Summary

Scientists discovered three new types of fungi living in extremely salty lagoons in Spain. These fungi can survive in harsh conditions that kill most organisms. The researchers identified these new species by studying their shape and DNA, and also reorganized how some existing fungi are classified based on genetic relationships. This discovery helps us understand how life adapts to extreme environments.

Background

Hypersaline endorheic lagoons are fragile ecosystems in closed basins with high salt concentrations. While archaeal and bacterial communities in these environments have been studied, fungal diversity remains largely unexplored. The Salada Grande de Chiprana and Saladas de Sástago-Bujaraloz complexes in Spain represent important Ramsar-protected wetlands.

Objective

To improve understanding of fungal biodiversity inhabiting the Salada Grande de Chiprana and La Playa lagoons using culture-dependent techniques and polyphasic taxonomic approaches. The study aimed to identify and characterize fungal species from sediment and water samples in these hypersaline environments.

Results

Three new fungal species were described: Montagnula globospora and M. terricola (genus Montagnula) and Monosporascus auratispora. M. globospora is unique as the only Montagnula species producing unicellular globose ascospores with cephalothecoid perida. Additionally, Herpotrichia striatispora was transferred to Montagnula and Montagnula jonessi to the new genus Neomontagnula.

Conclusion

This study significantly contributes to understanding fungal biodiversity in hypersaline lagoons, documenting three novel ascomycete species. The findings demonstrate that these extreme environments harbor unique fungal taxa with distinctive morphological and phylogenetic characteristics, expanding knowledge of salt-tolerant fungi in extremophile ecosystems.
  • Published in:Journal of Fungi (Basel),
  • Study Type:Taxonomic Survey and Discovery Study,
  • Source: PMID: 39997433, DOI: 10.3390/jof11020139
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