MycologiaPub Date : 2026-09-01Epub Date: 2026-07-09DOI: 10.1080/00275514.2026.2683309
Kentaro Tsuchida, Mana Masui, Nobuaki Kono
{"title":"Passage through the sclerotial stage does not impose persistent transcriptional reprogramming in <i>Physarum</i>.","authors":"Kentaro Tsuchida, Mana Masui, Nobuaki Kono","doi":"10.1080/00275514.2026.2683309","DOIUrl":"10.1080/00275514.2026.2683309","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Sclerotia are dormant structures formed from plasmodia under dehydration and metabolic arrest, but the extent to which passage through the sclerotial stage leaves lasting changes in transcriptional states remains unclear. Here, we compared plasmodial transcriptomes of <i>Physarum polycephalum</i> and <i>P. rigidum</i> before and after sclerotium formation and reactivation. No differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were detected in <i>P. rigidum</i>, whereas 519 DEGs were identified in <i>P. polycephalum</i>. In both species, the variation observed among pre-sclerotium replicates (294 and 1497 DEGs, respectively) exceeded the changes detected between pre- and post-sclerotial states. These results indicate that passage through the sclerotial stage does not impose large-scale or persistent changes on global transcriptional profiles under the conditions tested.</p>","PeriodicalId":18779,"journal":{"name":"Mycologia","volume":" ","pages":"987-996"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148412407","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
MycologiaPub Date : 2026-09-01Epub Date: 2026-07-09DOI: 10.1080/00275514.2026.2683310
Yanling Ma, Yuhong Yan, Tanvir Ahmad, Muyuan Zhuang, Yingyao Deng, Guangyou Tan, Dingcong Gao, Yang Liu
{"title":"Menadione (2-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone) induces oxidative stress to regulate growth and ochratoxin A biosynthesis in <i>Aspergillus westerdijkiae</i> fc-1.","authors":"Yanling Ma, Yuhong Yan, Tanvir Ahmad, Muyuan Zhuang, Yingyao Deng, Guangyou Tan, Dingcong Gao, Yang Liu","doi":"10.1080/00275514.2026.2683310","DOIUrl":"10.1080/00275514.2026.2683310","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><i>Aspergillus westerdijkiae</i> fc-1 is a foodborne fungus that produces ochratoxin A (OTA), a toxic and potentially carcinogenic mycotoxin posing serious food safety and health risks. This study investigated the impact of the oxidative stress-inducing agent menadione (2-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone) on <i>A. westerdijkiae</i> fc-1 growth and OTA biosynthesis. Wild-type (WT) and <i>ΔOTAbZIP</i> (<i>OTAbZIP</i> knockout) mutant strains of <i>A. westerdijkiae</i> fc-1 were exposed to varying concentrations of menadione (0, 0.05, 0.25, 0.50, and 0.75 mmol/L) to evaluate their oxidative stress responses. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to quantify OTA production, and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was performed to determine the relative expression levels of the OTA biosynthetic genes (<i>otaA</i>-<i>D</i>) and the <i>HOG1</i> gene. Increasing menadione concentrations significantly inhibited both fungal growth and OTA production. At 0.75 mmol/L, fungal growth inhibition reached 88.91% (WT) and 88.89% (ΔOTAbZIP) at 6 dpi. OTA production in the WT strain decreased significantly with increasing menadione concentrations and was undetectable at ≥ 0.50 mmol/L. qRT-PCR analysis showed up-regulation of the <i>HOG1</i> gene at higher menadione levels. In the WT strain, <i>HOG1</i> expression increased at 0.25 mmol/L, whereas in the <i>ΔOTAbZIP</i> mutant it was elevated at both 0.25 and 0.50 mmol/L, indicating activation of the HOG-MAPK (high-osmolarity glycerol-mitogen-activated protein kinase) pathway under oxidative stress. These results demonstrate that menadione inhibits both fungal growth and OTA biosynthesis in <i>A. westerdijkiae</i> fc-1 and implicate oxidative stress signaling in the regulation of OTA production. The <i>ΔOTAbZIP</i> mutant of <i>A. westerdijkiae</i> fc-1, which lacks the <i>OTAbZIP</i> transcription factor, showed restricted growth and failed to produce OTA. Compared with the wild type, the mutant exhibited higher <i>HOG1</i> expression, whereas the OTA biosynthetic genes (<i>otaA</i>-<i>D</i>) were significantly down-regulated. This study advances understanding of OTA regulation and provides a basis for controlling its contamination in agriculture and food systems.</p>","PeriodicalId":18779,"journal":{"name":"Mycologia","volume":" ","pages":"926-933"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148412437","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
MycologiaPub Date : 2026-09-01Epub Date: 2026-08-03DOI: 10.1080/00275514.2026.2685369
Sigrid Jakob, Scott Ostuni, Kyle Canan, Linas V Kudzma, P Brandon Matheny
{"title":"Six newly described Inocybaceae from North America.","authors":"Sigrid Jakob, Scott Ostuni, Kyle Canan, Linas V Kudzma, P Brandon Matheny","doi":"10.1080/00275514.2026.2685369","DOIUrl":"10.1080/00275514.2026.2685369","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Six new species of Inocybaceae from North America are described as new. Most are common and widespread throughout eastern North America. Phylogenetic analyses of nuc rDNA ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 (ITS), harnessing numerous community science records, together with nuc 28S rDNA support the phylogenetic distinctiveness of each species with strong support values. Sequences of additional genetic loci, including RNA polymerase II largest subunit (<i>rpb1</i>) and second largest subunit (<i>rpb2</i>), were also produced to supplement the descriptions and strengthen future phylogenetic studies. Of these new taxa, three are described in <i>Inocybe: I. albofusca</i>, a smooth-spored species in the Flocculosa clade; <i>I. communis</i>, a nodulose-spored species in the Xanthomelas clade; and <i>I. lincoffii</i>, a nodulose-spored species in <i>I</i>. subsect. <i>Napipedinae. Inosperma aureiavis</i> is a member of the Maculatum clade, whereas <i>Pseudosperma aurivetum</i> is a member of the Umbrinellum clade. <i>Mallocybe diabolica</i> is a narrow-range endemic known only from southeastern Arizona and Mexico and is allied with the Heimii clade. Complete descriptions and illustrations are presented for each species.</p>","PeriodicalId":18779,"journal":{"name":"Mycologia","volume":" ","pages":"1087-1113"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148669881","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
MycologiaPub Date : 2026-09-01Epub Date: 2026-06-02DOI: 10.1080/00275514.2026.2667558
Ari Jumpponen, Sam Fox, Jacob Hopkins, Benjamin Sikes
{"title":"Pyrodiversity-biodiversity hypothesis and soil fungi-barking up the wrong tree or only at the wrong time?","authors":"Ari Jumpponen, Sam Fox, Jacob Hopkins, Benjamin Sikes","doi":"10.1080/00275514.2026.2667558","DOIUrl":"10.1080/00275514.2026.2667558","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The increasing frequency and severity of wildfires has necessitated assessing fire effects on soil systems. Variation in fuel loads and fire effects create landscape mosaics with distinct abiotic properties, a heterogeneity that has been dubbed pyrodiversity. Expanding on the pyrodiversity framework, the <i>pyrodiversity-biodiversity hypothesis</i> posits that pyrodiversity increases niche diversity, thereby promoting biodiversity. This hypothesis, however, has remained untested for soil microbes and microeukaryotes. We explored this hypothesis for soil fungal communities using pre- and post-fire data from three empirical fuel load manipulations and across a total of five different vegetation contexts. We first compared pre- and post-fire abiotic heterogeneity to test whether fuel load manipulations would lead to greater environmental heterogeneity, particularly in soil properties. We then tested whether such manipulations led to greater fungal biodiversity as measured by fungal richness, β-diversity, and community dispersion. Labile abiotic soil resource (e.g. plant available phosphorus and inorganic nitrogen) heterogeneity increased post-fire, but this effect depended on the experimental context. In contrast, we observed little evidence for pyrodiversity-associated increases in post-fire fungal richness or diversity; community dispersion increased only in the study with the most extreme fuel load manipulations. Although our analyses did not clearly answer whether pyrodiversity begets biodiversity, our results highlight the nuances of soil responses to fire. Pyrodiversity-biodiversity linkages appear to depend on the system and on the diversity metric: the hypothesis had no support based on fungal richness, but community dispersion provided some support, even if only in one experiment. Understanding system-specific responses may be particularly important as fires increase in systems where they have been suppressed or have been historically rare.</p>","PeriodicalId":18779,"journal":{"name":"Mycologia","volume":" ","pages":"934-949"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148150401","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
MycologiaPub Date : 2026-09-01Epub Date: 2026-06-09DOI: 10.1080/00275514.2026.2660613
E J M I K Jayasundara, Adriana L Romero-Olivares
{"title":"Free-living fungi in the Anthropocene and impacts on public health, food security, and biodiversity.","authors":"E J M I K Jayasundara, Adriana L Romero-Olivares","doi":"10.1080/00275514.2026.2660613","DOIUrl":"10.1080/00275514.2026.2660613","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Global environmental changes that characterize the Anthropocene, such as extreme weather events, increase in temperature, severe droughts, etc. are affecting soil fungi, the crucial roles they play in ecosystems, and therefore impacting our society. In the past two decades, many studies have investigated the effects of diverse environmental changes (i.e. global change drivers) in fungi, at the species, population, and community levels, in natural and managed ecosystems, as well as under laboratory conditions. In this review, we draw together these studies to examine overall impacts on fungi when exposed to global change drivers. In addition, we summarize how global change and impacts on fungi are affecting society through impacts on public health, food security, and biodiversity. In closing, we present ways forward for research in this area, as well as gaps in knowledge and emergent questions in the field of soil fungi in the Anthropocene.</p>","PeriodicalId":18779,"journal":{"name":"Mycologia","volume":" ","pages":"885-914"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148211967","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Molecular dynamics modeling of the <i>Candida albicans</i> membrane for the discovery of membrane-binding antifungal peptides.","authors":"Xiaowei Chen, Ruixue Xu, Guangcheng Fu, Yangyang Yang, Huawei Sang, Yulong Wu, Conghao Gai, Xiao Wang","doi":"10.1080/00275514.2026.2671301","DOIUrl":"10.1080/00275514.2026.2671301","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Fungal infections caused by <i>Candida albicans</i> (<i>C. albicans</i>) pose a significant clinical challenge, especially due to the rise of multidrug-resistant strains. Antifungal peptides (AFPs) represent promising alternatives because of their high efficacy, low toxicity, and reduced risk of resistance. In this study, we integrated computational modeling and experimental validation to identify novel AFPs targeting the fungal membrane. Four candidate peptides-HIV-F9170 (GWEALKYLWNLLQYW), PinA (WRWWKWWK), PinB (WPTKWWK), and XYP1 (KIKWFKAMKSIAKFIAKDQLKKHL)-were evaluated using AlphaFold2 structure prediction, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, and in vitro antifungal assays. MD simulations revealed that PinA and XYP1 exhibited strong binding and stable interactions with a model <i>C. albicans</i> membrane. Correspondingly, in vitro assays confirmed that these two peptides effectively inhibited fungal growth without cytotoxicity toward HEK-293 cells. Our findings provide a mechanistic basis for peptide antifungal activity and identify promising candidates for further therapeutic development.</p>","PeriodicalId":18779,"journal":{"name":"Mycologia","volume":" ","pages":"1016-1026"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148218399","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
MycologiaPub Date : 2026-09-01Epub Date: 2026-07-30DOI: 10.1080/00275514.2026.2684821
Jeremy R Dettman, Bart T L H van de Vossenberg, Theo A J van der Lee, Hai D T Nguyen
{"title":"Nuclear genome population genomics of the potato wart pathogen (<i>Synchytrium endobioticum</i>) reveals high-resolution relationships of global strains.","authors":"Jeremy R Dettman, Bart T L H van de Vossenberg, Theo A J van der Lee, Hai D T Nguyen","doi":"10.1080/00275514.2026.2684821","DOIUrl":"10.1080/00275514.2026.2684821","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The chytrid <i>Synchytrium endobioticum</i> causes potato wart disease and is a regulated quarantine pathogen. Due to its obligate association with the potato host, obtaining pure genome sequences has been technically challenging. Previous population studies were limited to microsatellites or mitochondrial genomes, which capture only a small portion of the pathogen's genetic diversity. To enable the first population genomic analyses of the nuclear genome of <i>S. endobioticum</i>, we designed and applied a robust single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) discovery strategy to existing and novel sequence data sets that represent the global diversity in potato production systems. We demonstrate that reliable nuclear genome data can be recovered from contaminated environmental samples, where <i>S. endobioticum</i> constitutes only ~5% of total reads. After stringent filtering, 74 high‑quality data sets for isolates from 10 countries and 12 pathotypes were retained. Phylogenetic analyses of genome-wide SNP alignments, some with up to 188 817 SNPs, identified three well-supported nuclear phylogroups that largely corresponded to mitochondrial haplogroups: (i) a basal Peruvian clade; (ii) a European/Canadian clade containing mostly pathotypes 1(D1), 2(G1), 6(O1), and 8(F1); and (iii) a clade with pathotypes 18(T1) and 38(Nevşehir). Using a subset of 13 327 homozygous SNPs, population structure analysis and phylogenetic networks confirmed three genetic clusters with limited admixture. Our analyses indicate that potato wart was introduced into Canada from a European source. Pathotype designations do not correspond to exclusive monophyletic lineages. Analysis of the <i>AvrSen1</i> effector revealed that distinct loss-of-function variants can occur in multiple nuclear phylogroups, suggesting independent emergence of some virulence phenotypes. Isolates contain a reservoir of genetic variation, which may allow adaptation to changing host resistance pressures. This nuclear genome approach provides significantly greater resolution than previous molecular markers used for strain tracking. Furthermore, the solid phylogenetic framework developed here will support future effector-based pathotype inference and will aid regulators in surveillance and quarantine decisions for this high-risk pathogen.</p>","PeriodicalId":18779,"journal":{"name":"Mycologia","volume":" ","pages":"997-1015"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148630205","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
MycologiaPub Date : 2026-08-28DOI: 10.1080/00275514.2026.2707363
Emma R Peterson, Andrew H Loudon, Fletcher E Falk, Jasmine K Janes
{"title":"High ascomycete diversity and novel fungal associations found in expanding <i>Epipactis helleborine</i> populations outside their native range.","authors":"Emma R Peterson, Andrew H Loudon, Fletcher E Falk, Jasmine K Janes","doi":"10.1080/00275514.2026.2707363","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00275514.2026.2707363","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><i>Epipactis helleborine</i> is an orchid species that has been introduced to North America and continues to expand its range. Numerous studies have investigated the mycorrhizal specificity of these orchids in their native range and found broad associations with Ascomycota, particularly <i>Wilcoxina</i>. Similar studies in North America are rare. We assessed the fungal diversity associated with populations of <i>E. helleborine</i>, and the surrounding soil, in mixed habitats on Vancouver Island (Canada) to make comparisons with findings from the species native range. After collecting 45 rhizomes and 36 soil samples, we amplified the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS2) region to assess alpha and beta diversity. BLAST searches were conducted, and phylogenetic reconstructions of high-matching fungal sequences from other <i>E. helleborine</i> studies were created. We demonstrate that <i>E. helleborine</i> populations continue to associate with a diverse group of Ascomycota fungi, particularly <i>Wilcoxina</i> spp. as they continue to expand their range northward in western North America. However, we also detected a novel association among <i>E. helleborine</i> rhizomes and <i>Rhexocercosporidium</i>, a genus containing known saprophytes and plant pathogens. Our results indicate that this orchid can pair with an extensive range of fungal partners, likely by taking advantage of varying degrees of phylogenetic niche conservatism among different fungal groups, which could have wide-reaching implications in terms of further geographic expansion and introductions to new continents.</p>","PeriodicalId":18779,"journal":{"name":"Mycologia","volume":" ","pages":"1-13"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-08-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148850971","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
MycologiaPub Date : 2026-08-27DOI: 10.1080/00275514.2026.2702820
Geert Schmidt-Stohn, Matthias Dondl, Emanuele Campo, Bernhard Oertel, Irja Saar, Kare Liimatainen, Tuula Niskanen, Dimitar Bojantchev, Giovanni Turrini, Bálint Dima
{"title":"Two new species of <i>Cortinarius</i> subgenus <i>Telamonia</i> section <i>Firmiores</i> (Agaricales, Basidiomycota) from Europe and North America.","authors":"Geert Schmidt-Stohn, Matthias Dondl, Emanuele Campo, Bernhard Oertel, Irja Saar, Kare Liimatainen, Tuula Niskanen, Dimitar Bojantchev, Giovanni Turrini, Bálint Dima","doi":"10.1080/00275514.2026.2702820","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00275514.2026.2702820","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In this study, we describe two new species of <i>Cortinarius</i> subgen. <i>Telamonia</i> sect. <i>Firmiores: Cortinarius curiosus</i> and <i>C. ferrugineochraceus</i>. Both species are well supported by phylogenetic analyses and are characterized by distinct morphological features. <i>Cortinarius curiosus</i> is resolved within the broader /Alboviolacei clade, forming a strongly supported lineage together with the three European taxa and <i>C. obliquus</i> from USA. Morphologically, <i>C. curiosus</i> can be distinguished from the European <i>C. acutispissipes, C. alboviolaceus</i>, and <i>C. paralbocyaneus</i> by first its silvery-whitish pileus and the strongly ornamented spores. Moreover, differentiation of all these four species of the clade based on spore size and ornamentation has been established as far as possible. In Europe, <i>C. curiosus</i> is associated with evergreen oaks, in the USA with <i>Quercus nigra</i>, which can be called partially evergreen. In addition, these four species are compared with the North American <i>Cortinarius obliquus</i>. The second new species, <i>Cortinarius ferrugineochraceus</i>, is placed within the /Turgidoides clade, where it forms a distinct lineage closely related to, but clearly separable from, <i>C. turgidoides</i>. These two taxa are compared in detail with respect to morphology, molecular characters, and ecological preferences. <i>Cortinarius ferrugineochraceus</i> can easily be recognized by its white, frosty veil covering pileus and the ochraceous orange to ferrugineous colors when young. In contrast, the veil of <i>C. turgidoides</i> is clearly fibrillose and more distinct and the pileus is more leather-brown to ferrugineous colored. Furthermore, the taxonomic status and previously proposed synonyms of <i>C. turgidoides</i> are critically reassessed in light of the phylogenetic evidence presented here.</p>","PeriodicalId":18779,"journal":{"name":"Mycologia","volume":" ","pages":"1-21"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-08-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148840731","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
MycologiaPub Date : 2026-08-18DOI: 10.1080/00275514.2026.2677228
Nicholas Greatens, Rachel A Koch Bach
{"title":"Phylogenomic analysis supports the transfer of <i>Coniothyrium glycines</i>, a soybean pathogen and USDA Select Agent, to the genus <i>Aristastoma</i>.","authors":"Nicholas Greatens, Rachel A Koch Bach","doi":"10.1080/00275514.2026.2677228","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00275514.2026.2677228","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Red leaf blotch, caused by <i>Coniothyrium glycines</i>, is a major leaf spot disease of soybean in Africa. Because of its unique morphological characteristics, <i>C. glycines</i> has been placed in numerous genera since its description in 1957, and recent phylogenetic evidence has suggested that its current placement within <i>Coniothyrium</i> is incorrect. To provide nomenclatural stability, we reevaluated its evolutionary history and taxonomy using a phylogenomic approach. We produced draft genomes for 13 close relatives of <i>C. glycines</i> and generated a consensus tree from 4643 BUSCO genes in these species and related Dothideomycetes. We show that <i>Coniothyrium</i> is not monophyletic and <i>C. glycines</i> is closely related to <i>Aristastoma oeconomicum</i>, a once prevalent leaf spot pathogen of cowpea in the eastern United States. Similarities in morphology and disease symptomology, along with genome distance estimations and a phylogeny based on internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and partial nuclear 28S rDNA (D1-D2) data, support the transfer of <i>C. glycines</i> and another species, <i>Coniothyrium dolichi</i>, to <i>Aristastoma</i>. The inclusion of this species in <i>Aristastoma</i> expands the morphological concept of this genus to include species that produce sclerotia and have aseptate conidia. The improved systematics and genomic resources generated with this study will advance the development of diagnostics and detection assays of this high-consequence plant pathogen.</p>","PeriodicalId":18779,"journal":{"name":"Mycologia","volume":" ","pages":"1-13"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-08-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148795375","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}