First record of Bacillicladium lobatum (Chaetothyriales) in Caucasus (second finding in the world)

Bacillicladium lobatum was isolated from cryoconits at the mountains of the Caucasus, and it is represented by strain CZ-25. Macro- and micromorphology of the isolate were examined along with partial sequences of internal transcribed spacer of rDNA (ITS1-5.8S-ITS2). The isolate Bacillicladium lobatum CZ-25 had a number of features that distinguished it from the strain Bacillicladium lobatum from speleothem biofilm covering bare granite walls in the KungstraÈdgården metro station in Stockholm. Strain from Caucasus had conidia larger and hyphae wide, and the maximum growth temperature was higher. As a result of our study, we first discovered the microfungi Bacillicladium lobatum at the Caucasus. Our study shows that Bacillicladium lobatum is a species found at towns of Northern Europe and at the mountains of Caucasus.