Ima Fungus最新文献

{"title":"Annotation and functional prediction of RNA helicases in <i>Ustilago maydis</i>.","authors":"Amanda M Seto, Barry J Saville","doi":"10.3897/imafungus.16.151785","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3897/imafungus.16.151785","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>RNA helicases are conserved enzymes found in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. They function in all aspects of RNA metabolism and are known to influence various cellular and metabolic processes. In addition, they have been implicated in certain cancers and diseases. Studies on RNA helicases in fungi indicate their conserved roles in RNA metabolism and suggest that their dysregulation can affect fungal growth. However, the roles of RNA helicases in fungal plant pathogenesis remain underexplored, despite increasing knowledge of how RNA helicases modulate gene expression and disease progression. We used the basidiomycete plant pathogen <i>Ustilago maydis</i> as a model to identify 46 RNA helicases. We review the roles of RNA helicases in RNA metabolism, cellular growth and homeostasis, and metabolism. We then utilized available <i>U. maydis</i> transcriptome data and current research to hypothesize potential functions of RNA helicases in fungal plant pathology. These roles include influencing cell growth, modulating stress response, contributing to virulence and disease progression, and regulating fungal spore dormancy and germination. Understanding the roles of RNA helicases in gene regulation may aid in developing strategies to mitigate disease spread in fungal plant pathogens.</p>","PeriodicalId":54345,"journal":{"name":"Ima Fungus","volume":"16 ","pages":"e151785"},"PeriodicalIF":6.2,"publicationDate":"2025-10-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12511879/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145281752","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"First insights into the phylogeny of the order <i>Cribrariales</i> (<i>Amoebozoa</i>, <i>Myxomycetes</i>), with the definite exclusion of the genus <i>Enteridium</i>.","authors":"Juan Carlos Zamora, Daniel Rodrigues, Iván García-Cunchillos, Carlos Lado","doi":"10.3897/imafungus.16.159960","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3897/imafungus.16.159960","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The order <i>Cribrariales</i> is among the least studied higher groups in the <i>Myxomycetes</i>, with numerous taxonomic problems and scarce molecular data available in public databases. Of the three genera currently accepted, viz. <i>Cribraria</i>, <i>Lindbladia</i>, and <i>Enteridium</i>, the last one shows a set of morphological characters clearly disagreeing with the two former ones. Using a representative sampling and two unlinked loci (nuclear and mitochondrial SSU), we assessed the phylogenetic relationships in the bright-spored <i>Myxomycetes (Lucisporomycetidae)</i> and concluded that the genus <i>Enteridium</i> must be excluded from the order <i>Cribrariales</i> and placed instead within the order <i>Trichiales</i>, family <i>Dianemataceae</i>. We provide detailed explanations of why this genus has been misclassified in previous studies, and define its morphological and molecular boundaries, performing two necessary new combinations. On the other hand, the phylogeny of the order <i>Cribrariales</i> s.str. shows three main lineages that are distinguished as three subgenera, viz. C. subg. Cribraria, C. subg. Dictydium, and C. subg. Ionokylix<b>subg. nov.</b>, the first one including the genus <i>Lindbladia</i> deeply nested and therefore treated as a heterotypic synonym of <i>Cribraria</i>.</p>","PeriodicalId":54345,"journal":{"name":"Ima Fungus","volume":"16 ","pages":"e159960"},"PeriodicalIF":6.2,"publicationDate":"2025-10-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12511878/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145281816","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Zn(II)₂-Cys₆-type zinc finger protein AoKap7 is involved in the growth, oxidative stress and kojic acid synthesis in <i>Aspergillus oryzae</i>.","authors":"Ting Qiu, Ziming Chen, Huanxin Zhang, Bangfu Deng, Lihua Yao, Zhe Zhang","doi":"10.3897/imafungus.16.153994","DOIUrl":"10.3897/imafungus.16.153994","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Although the kojic acid gene cluster in <i>Aspergillus oryzae</i> was identified in 2010, the functions of neighbouring genes remain poorly understood. Here, we characterise <i>Aokap7</i>, a gene adjacent to this cluster that encodes a novel nucleus-localised zinc finger protein without transcriptional activation activity. Disruption of <i>Aokap7</i> markedly accelerated spore germination, hyphal growth, and conidial formation, but impaired kojic acid production. Overexpression of <i>kojR</i> or <i>laeA</i> restored kojic acid production in the <i>Aokap7</i> disruption strain, whereas their disruption abolished it, indicating that <i>Aokap7</i> regulates kojic acid production by <i>kojR</i> and <i>laeA</i>. Furthermore, disrupting <i>Aokap7</i> in the <i>AozfA</i> overexpression or disruption strains reversed their kojic aicd production, suggesting that <i>Aokap7</i> acts downstream of <i>AozfA</i>. The <i>Aokap7</i> mutant also exhibited reduced expression of reactive oxygen species (ROS)-scavenging genes and heightened oxidative stress sensitivity. Biochemical assays revealed that <i>Aokap7</i> preferentially binds to the motif 5'-CGGCTCGG-3', and directly interacts with the <i>AoGPX1</i> promoter. Disruption of <i>AoGPX1</i> increased the sensitivity of <i>A. oryzae</i> to oxidative stress. Our findings elucidate the pivotal role of <i>Aokap7</i> in coordinating growth, oxidative stress response and kojic acid production, advancing understanding of the regulatory network of kojic acid synthesis in <i>A. oryzae</i>.</p>","PeriodicalId":54345,"journal":{"name":"Ima Fungus","volume":"16 ","pages":"e153994"},"PeriodicalIF":6.2,"publicationDate":"2025-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12491976/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145234096","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Drought stress responses revealed by genomic and transcriptomic analyses of two macrofungi (<i>Inonotus hispidus</i> and <i>Inocutis levis</i>) from <i>Populus euphratica</i>.","authors":"Miao Zhou, Meng-Xue Lv, Dong-Mei Wu, Neng Gao, Tai-Min Xu, Yi-Fei Sun, Bao-Kai Cui","doi":"10.3897/imafungus.16.163859","DOIUrl":"10.3897/imafungus.16.163859","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><i>Populus euphratica</i> is a key deciduous and tall arbour capable of forming forests in arid and desert environments, exhibiting notable tolerance to drought, salinity and bacterial resistance. This study completed whole-genome sequencing of <i>Inonotus hispidus</i> and <i>Inocutis levis</i>, collected from Xinjiang, China, to predict genome structure and identify potential drought-related genes. Combined with transcriptome sequencing under different drought conditions simulated using PEG-6000, the gene expression regulation during drought tolerance was analysed. Whole-genome sequencing was carried out on the Illumina Novaseq and Pacbio Sequel platforms, resulting in genome size of 34.57 Mb for <i>Inonotus hispidus</i> and 37.17 Mb for <i>Inocutis levis</i>, respectively. A total of 10,169 and 10,140 protein-coding genes were annotated in these two species. The genomes of two species exhibited high synteny with 7,226 shared homologous genes and their functional annotations showed high similarity. Under drought stress at three PEG-6000 concentrations (10%, 30% and 50%), the transcriptomic analyses revealed 4,550 and 2,113 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the two fungi, respectively, with an increasing number of up- and down-regulated genes as the drought stress intensified. Gene expression profiles in response to drought stress showed prominent changes, amongst which the genes related to antioxidation, osmotic regulation, signal transduction and ribosomal function may play important roles. In the ribosome pathway, <i>Inonotus hispidus</i> showed a significant down-regulation of ribosomal-related genes under mild drought stress, which is up-regulated once again as the stress intensifies, while <i>Inocutis levis</i> exhibited significant up-regulation of these genes under severe drought stress, highlighting distinct drought adaptation strategies. This study provides essential theoretical insights into the molecular adaptation mechanisms of fungi in dry environments and offers new perspectives for the development of microbial resources in arid regions.</p>","PeriodicalId":54345,"journal":{"name":"Ima Fungus","volume":"16 ","pages":"e163859"},"PeriodicalIF":6.2,"publicationDate":"2025-09-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12455214/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145139589","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Is <i>Ischnoderma benzoinum</i> a competitor or contributor to <i>Heterobasidion annosum</i> decomposition of pine and spruce wood? A comparison to <i>Phlebiopsis gigantea</i>.","authors":"Andrzej Szczepkowski, Leszek Bolibok, Zbigniew Sierota","doi":"10.3897/imafungus.16.152556","DOIUrl":"10.3897/imafungus.16.152556","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The ecological role of <i>Ischnoderma benzoinum</i> in conifer stands remains poorly understood, particularly with regard to its potential to compete with the root rot pathogen <i>Heterobasidion annosum</i>. This study investigated the growth dynamics, wood decay capacity, and competitive interactions of two <i>I. benzoinum</i> isolates (originating from <i>Pinus sylvestris</i> and <i>Picea abies</i>) with two <i>H. annosum</i> isolates from the same host species, and with the biocontrol fungus <i>Phlebiopsis gigantea</i>. Laboratory assays involved growth on malt extract agar for 14 days, and single and dual inoculations on pine and spruce wood for 60 and 120 days. Both <i>I. benzoinum</i> isolates exhibited growth rates on medium comparable to those of <i>H. annosum</i>. On spruce wood, <i>I. benzoinum</i> caused the greatest mass loss, whereas <i>H. annosum</i> dominated on pine. In most dual cultures, wood mass loss was similar to that in single cultures; however, in the pairing of the spruce-derived <i>I. benzoinum</i> with <i>P. gigantea</i>, decay was significantly reduced, indicating antagonistic interaction. Competitive outcomes in dual cultures varied markedly. The pine-derived <i>I. benzoinum</i> strongly suppressed the pine-derived <i>H. annosum</i>, whereas the spruce-derived <i>H. annosum</i> consistently outcompeted both <i>I. benzoinum</i> isolates. <i>P. gigantea</i> strongly inhibited <i>I. benzoinum</i> mycelial growth and frequently reduced its decay activity. These findings demonstrate that <i>I. benzoinum</i> can function either as a strong competitor or as a co-colonizer with <i>H. annosum</i>, with interaction outcomes determined by isolate origin and host tree species. The capacity of <i>I. benzoinum</i> to match <i>H. annosum</i> in wood decay efficiency, particularly on spruce, suggests that it may influence disease progression and nutrient cycling in coniferous forests. This work advances understanding of fungal community dynamics in wood decomposition and highlights the need for further ecological and molecular studies to clarify the role of <i>I. benzoinum</i> in forest health and management.</p>","PeriodicalId":54345,"journal":{"name":"Ima Fungus","volume":"16 ","pages":"e152556"},"PeriodicalIF":6.2,"publicationDate":"2025-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12441746/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145088136","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":" <i>Onygenales</i> from marine sediments: diversity, novel taxa, global distribution, and adaptability to the marine environment.","authors":"Daniel Guerra-Mateo, Josepa Gené, Pierre Becker, José F Cano-Lira","doi":"10.3897/imafungus.16.158470","DOIUrl":"10.3897/imafungus.16.158470","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The <i>Onygenales</i> represent a versatile group of fungi that primarily inhabit soils, degrading cellulose and/or keratin. While some are known human pathogens, others are osmotolerant or colonize chitin substrates such as insects. The marine environment, characterized by 3.5% salinity and chitin as the dominant polysaccharide, represents an intriguing niche for these fungi. However, fungal diversity in this environment remains poorly studied. This study investigated the culturable diversity of <i>Onygenales</i> in marine sediments, explored their global biogeography, and assessed their adaptability to marine conditions. Marine sediments were collected near river mouths and other coastal areas along the Catalan coast (Spain). Identification was based on a polyphasic approach; global distribution patterns were assessed through the GlobalFungi database, and adaptability was evaluated through osmotolerance and substrate degradation assays (cellulose, chitin, keratin). We recovered 32 strains, of which 24 represented 16 known species distributed in <i>Gymnascella</i>, <i>Gymnoascus</i>, <i>Narasimhella</i>, and <i>Sporendonema (Gymnoascaceae)</i>; <i>Malbranchea (Malbrancheaceae)</i>; <i>Myriodontium (Neoarthropsidaceae)</i>; and <i>Aphanoascus</i> and <i>Byssoonygena (Onygenaceae)</i>. The remaining eight strains were delineated as six novel species, including a new genus: <i>Gymnoascoideus alboluteus</i> <b>sp. nov.</b>, <i>Malbranchea parafilamentosa</i> <b>sp. nov.</b>, <i>M. sedimenticola</i> <b>sp. nov.</b>, <i>M. seminuda</i> <b>sp. nov.</b>, <i>M. sexualis</i> <b>sp. nov.</b>, and <i>Deilomyces minimus</i> <b>gen. et sp. nov.</b> In addition, all strains degraded cellulose, and most tolerated up to 10% NaCl. Only four species that also degraded chitin (<i>Malbranchea parafilamentosa</i>, <i>M. sexualis</i>, <i>Myriodontium keratinophilum</i>, and <i>Sporendonema casei</i>) could be considered facultative marine fungi. This work evidences the great diversity of onygenalean fungi in marine sediments and underscores their metabolic adaptability to marine conditions.</p>","PeriodicalId":54345,"journal":{"name":"Ima Fungus","volume":"16 ","pages":"e158470"},"PeriodicalIF":6.2,"publicationDate":"2025-09-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12457909/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145151923","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Haplotype-resolved genomes of <i>Phlebopus portentosus</i> reveal nuclear differentiation, TE-mediated variation, and saprotrophic potential.","authors":"Guoliang Meng, Jiajia Li, Yao Cao, Fan Li, MengQian Liu, Rongchun Li, Caihong Dong","doi":"10.3897/imafungus.16.161411","DOIUrl":"10.3897/imafungus.16.161411","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><i>Phlebopus portentosus</i> is a widely consumed edible mushroom and the only <i>Boletales</i> species currently cultivated on an industrial scale. Despite its economic importance, its trophic strategy and genomic adaptations remain elusive. Here, we presented high-quality, chromosome-level genome assemblies for two sexually compatible monokaryons (PP78 and PP85) of <i>P. portentosus</i>. Comparative genomic analysis revealed a genome size difference of 1.17 Mb (30.87 vs. 32.04 Mb), primarily attributed to transposable element (TE) expansion in strain PP85. Genome structural variations were largely driven by TEs, particularly LTR retrotransposons. DNA transposons were also involved in structural rearrangement of secondary metabolite biosynthetic gene clusters, impacting their organization and transcriptional profiles. Functional annotation identified 187 PP78-specific and 236 PP85-specific genes, with the latter enriched in TE-related and putative virulence factors. <i>P. portentosus</i> displays genomic signatures of both ECM symbiosis (reduced lignocellulose-degrading enzymes) and saprotroph (expanded glycoside hydrolase 31 and sugar transporters), supporting a facultative ECM lifestyle. The expansion of non-ribosomal peptide synthetase and polyketide synthase pathways, alongside contraction of terpenoid clusters typical of ECM fungi, further indicated its adaptation to saprotroph. These findings highlight the role of TEs in driving genome plasticity, metabolic diversity, and nuclear divergence in <i>P. portentosus</i>, providing valuable genomic resources for this species.</p>","PeriodicalId":54345,"journal":{"name":"Ima Fungus","volume":"16 ","pages":"e161411"},"PeriodicalIF":6.2,"publicationDate":"2025-08-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12411881/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145014450","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparative and phylogenetic analyses using mitogenomes revealed gene re-arrangement of <i>Boletaceae</i> (<i>Boletales</i>).","authors":"Xianyi Wang, Jiawei Tao, Zhongyao Guo, Guoyu Wang, Guangyin Xu, Yaping Wang, Yaohang Long, Hongmei Liu","doi":"10.3897/imafungus.16.154192","DOIUrl":"10.3897/imafungus.16.154192","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><i>Boletaceae</i>, the largest family in the <i>Boletales</i> order, is an ecologically and economically important group and the phylogenetic studies of this group need to be further developed. The mitogenome is an effective molecular marker for analysing phylogenetic relationships; however, <i>Boletaceae</i> mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) has been studied to a lesser extent. Thus, a comparative analysis of the mitogenomic features of seven <i>Boletaceae</i> species, representing seven distinct genera, was conducted. Phylogenetic relationships amongst these species within <i>Boletales</i> were reconstructed, based on the mitogenomic data. Highly consistent phylogenetic results within 34 <i>Boletales</i> species and two outgroups from <i>Polyporales</i>, based on mitogenomic datasets, were obtained using Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian Inference methods. Results of phylogenetic analyses revealed that <i>Boletus</i>, <i>Retiboletus</i> and <i>Neoboletus</i> were polyphyletic. Interestingly, species of <i>Neoboletus</i> with different bruising discolouration patterns were found in separate clades, suggesting this trait may reflect underlying genetic divergence. Furthermore, comparative and phylogenetic analyses revealed gene re-arrangements in mitogenomes of <i>Boletaceae</i>. This study is the first to report on complete mitogenomes of four genera (<i>Amoenoboletus</i>, <i>Hourangia</i>, <i>Leccinum</i> and <i>Strobilomyces</i>) and will help better understand the phylogenetic relationships of <i>Boletales</i>. Furthermore, addition of more new taxa is necessary to reconstruct a high-resolution tree.</p>","PeriodicalId":54345,"journal":{"name":"Ima Fungus","volume":"16 ","pages":"e154192"},"PeriodicalIF":6.2,"publicationDate":"2025-08-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12374169/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144978658","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Diverse metabolites with anti-psoriasis potential from different fermentations of the fungicolous fungus <i>Xylarialongipes</i> HFG1018.","authors":"Zhen-Zhu Zhao, Yan Wang, Xiao-Yu Wang, Hui Chen, Zhen-Zhen Wang, Jing-Kun Wang, Le-Le Wang, Ming-Jun Shen, Xin Pang, Wei-Sheng Feng","doi":"10.3897/imafungus.16.153522","DOIUrl":"10.3897/imafungus.16.153522","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The genus <i>Xylaria</i> is a promising source of bioactive compounds. This study examined the diversity of secondary metabolites (SMs) in <i>Xylarialongipes</i> under three fermentation conditions, resulting in the isolation of 14 new SMs and 27 known ones. The structures, including absolute configurations, were determined using NMR spectroscopy, HRESIMS analysis, and computational methods (ECD, ¹³C NMR data, and optical rotation). A comprehensive library of SMs was established, enabling metabolomics-wide association studies that identified culture conditions as a key factor influencing SM production. This compound library also facilitates the determination of absolute configurations for diplosporins by analyzing <i>J</i> values and CD trends. Anti-proliferative tests against induced T/B lymphocytes and HaCaT cells revealed that over half of the compounds exhibited significant inhibitory activity, with compounds <b>2</b>, <b>15</b>, and <b>32</b> reducing IFN-<i>γ</i> secretion. Compound <b>32</b> demonstrated promising anti-psoriatic effects by inhibiting NF-<i>κ</i>B p65 phosphorylation in HaCaT cells. This initial systematic chemical study of <i>X.longipes</i> under different conditions provides insights into structure-activity relationships.</p>","PeriodicalId":54345,"journal":{"name":"Ima Fungus","volume":"16 ","pages":"e153522"},"PeriodicalIF":6.2,"publicationDate":"2025-08-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12365674/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144978840","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Unexpected richness and distinct patterns of <i>Morchella</i> (<i>Ascomycota</i>) species diversity in Chongqing, a notable \"Furnace City\": unveiling rich diversity in hot regions.","authors":"Qin Qin, Yan-Fei Teng, Wen Shu Hu, Jing-Yi Wei, Zhong-Dong Yu, Ping Du, Xiao-Yan Zhang, Xia Guo, Meng-Qian Chen, Wei Wei, Xi-Hui Du","doi":"10.3897/imafungus.16.152685","DOIUrl":"10.3897/imafungus.16.152685","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><i>Morchella</i> species, commonly known as true morels and being cold-preferring fungi, are esteemed for their distinctive flavor as well as significant economic and prominent research value. Chongqing, located in southwestern China and renowned as the \"Furnace City\" due to its distinctive climate and extremely high summer temperatures, spans an area of 82,400 square kilometers with complex geographical topography, yet has lacked a comprehensive survey of true morels (<i>Morchella</i>) so far. From 2017 to 2024, we conducted extensive field surveys across 13 districts and counties within Chongqing, resulting in the collection of over 1,000 wild morel samples. Through a combination of multi-gene phylogenetic analysis and microscopic morphological observations, we uncovered a surprisingly high level of species richness of <i>Morchella</i> in Chongqing, identifying 13 species in the Esculenta clade (yellow morels) and three species in the Elata clade (black morels), including six newly described species: <i>Morchellachinensis</i> <b>sp. nov.</b>, <i>M.diversa</i> <b>sp. nov.</b>, <i>M.eoa</i> <b>sp. nov.</b>, <i>M.huoguo</i> <b>sp. nov.</b>, <i>M.montana</i> <b>sp. nov.</b>, and <i>M.universitatis</i> <b>sp. nov.</b> Notably, <i>M.nipponensis</i>, previously documented only in Japan, is reported for the first time in China. Furthermore, significant divergence in species diversity between the Esculenta and Elata clades of <i>Morchella</i> has been observed in Chongqing, which is strongly influenced and shaped by the prevailing vegetation. The distribution pattern of <i>Morchella</i> species suggests that the impact of high summer temperatures on species diversity in Chongqing is partially mitigated by locally diverse mountainous habitats. In addition, the habitats of <i>M.diversa</i> and <i>M.universitatis</i>, the two most widely distributed species in Chongqing, exhibit higher vegetation diversity, suggesting that <i>Morchella</i> species with greater habitat adaptability tend to have broader geographic ranges. This study provides valuable insights into the species diversity and distribution pattern of <i>Morchella</i>, particularly in a region with unique climatic and ecological conditions, and highlights the need for further study into the correlation between vegetation and <i>Morchella</i> species.</p>","PeriodicalId":54345,"journal":{"name":"Ima Fungus","volume":"16 ","pages":"e152685"},"PeriodicalIF":6.2,"publicationDate":"2025-08-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12365677/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144978790","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}