MYCOLab Ai Logo - gold and army green

Onygenales from marine sediments: diversity, novel taxa, global distribution, and adaptability to the marine environment

Summary

Researchers discovered and identified diverse fungi called Onygenales living in marine sediments along the Spanish coast. These fungi can survive in salty ocean water and break down various organic materials including plant cellulose. The study identified several new fungal species never before known to science, showing that marine environments harbor much greater fungal diversity than previously recognized.

Background

Onygenales are versatile fungi primarily found in soils that degrade cellulose and/or keratin. While some are known pathogens, others display osmotolerance or colonize chitin substrates. The marine environment with its 3.5% salinity and chitin-rich composition represents an intriguing but understudied niche for these fungi.

Objective

This study investigated the culturable diversity of Onygenales in marine sediments from the Catalan coast (Spain), explored their global biogeography using the GlobalFungi database, and assessed their adaptability to marine conditions through osmotolerance and substrate degradation assays.

Results

32 strains were recovered representing 24 known species in eight genera across four families. Six strains were delineated as novel species including a new genus (Deilomyces minimus) and four new Malbranchea species. All strains degraded cellulose and most tolerated up to 10% NaCl, with only four species also degrading chitin qualifying as facultative marine fungi.

Conclusion

The study reveals great diversity of onygenalean fungi in marine sediments and demonstrates their metabolic adaptability to marine conditions. The recovery of both known and novel species evidences the ecological significance of Onygenales in marine nutrient cycling.
  • Published in:IMA Fungus,
  • Study Type:Descriptive/Taxonomic Study,
  • Source: PMID: 41001231, DOI: 10.3897/imafungus.16.158470
Scroll to Top