MYCOLab Ai Logo - gold and army green

From seagrass roots to saline soils: discovery of two new genera in Lulworthiales (Sordariomycetes) from osmotically stressed habitats

Summary

Scientists discovered two completely new types of fungi living in unusual salty environments. One fungus was found living inside seagrass roots near Mauritius, while the other was discovered in salt-affected soils in the Czech Republic. Using DNA analysis and microscopy, researchers confirmed these are entirely new species that belong to a group of fungi specially adapted to salty environments. This discovery shows that these salt-loving fungi are more widespread and diverse than previously thought.

Background

Marine fungi in the order Lulworthiales are specialized inhabitants of brackish and saline environments. Recent discoveries suggest these fungi extend beyond marine ecosystems into saline inland soils, challenging their traditional association with exclusively marine habitats. This study investigates fungal communities from seagrass roots and saline soils as sources of novel lulworthialean fungi.

Objective

To characterize two previously unknown fungi discovered in osmotically stressed habitats: one from seagrass roots and another from saline soils. The study aimed to determine their phylogenetic placement within Lulworthiales and assess their ecological distribution and roles through morphological, molecular, and biogeographic analyses.

Results

Two novel fungal genera were discovered and described: Thalassodendromyces purpureus from seagrass roots of Thalassodendron ciliatum in Mauritius, and Halomyrma pluriseptata from saline soils in Czechia. Phylogenetic analyses confirmed their placement within Lulworthiales, with T. purpureus clustering with Spathulospora and H. pluriseptata clustering with Halazoon and Halophilomyces. Metabarcoding data indicated H. pluriseptata is widely distributed in aquatic and marine biomes globally.

Conclusion

This study expands the ecological and phylogenetic understanding of Lulworthiales by identifying novel symbiotic and saprobic fungi from osmotically stressed habitats. The findings highlight seagrass roots as important sources of novel fungal diversity and challenge the traditional marine exclusivity of Lulworthiales. The research underscores the importance of integrating morphological and molecular approaches with environmental DNA metabarcoding for accurate fungal characterization and biogeographic assessment.
  • Published in:IMA Fungus,
  • Study Type:Descriptive Study,
  • Source: PMID: 40842674
Scroll to Top