Corollospora mediterranea: A Novel Species Complex in the Mediterranean Sea

Anna Poli,Iolanda Perugini,Valeria Prigione,Giovanna Cristina Varese,Elena Bovio

doi:10.3390/app11125452

Abstract

The genus Corollospora, typified by the arenicolous fungus Corollospora maritima, consists of twenty-five cosmopolitan species that live and reproduce exclusively in marine environments. Species of this genus are known to produce bioactive compounds and can be potentially exploited as bioremediators of oil spill contaminated beaches; hence their biotechnological importance. In this paper, nine fungal strains isolated in the Mediterranean Sea, from the seagrass Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile, from driftwood and seawater contaminated by an oil spill, were investigated. The strains, previously identified as Corollospora sp., were examined by deep multi-loci phylogenetic and morphological analyses. Maximum-likelihood and Bayesian phylogeny based on seven genetic markers led to the introduction of a new species complex within the genus Corollospora: Corollospora mediterranea species complex (CMSC). The Mediterranean Sea, once again, proves an extraordinary reservoir of novel fungal species with a still undiscovered biotechnological potential.

Highlights

The last decades have seen an increasing interest in marine fungi due to the need to broaden our knowledge on aquatic biodiversity and to exploit these organisms as a source of novel bioactive molecules
Nine fungal strains isolated in the Mediterranean Sea, from the seagrass Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile, from driftwood and seawater contaminated by an oil spill, were investigated
Maximum-likelihood and Bayesian phylogeny based on seven genetic markers led to the introduction of a new species complex within the genus Corollospora: Corollospora mediterranea species complex (CMSC)

Summary

Introduction

The last decades have seen an increasing interest in marine fungi due to the need to broaden our knowledge on aquatic biodiversity and to exploit these organisms as a source of novel bioactive molecules. While most of the genera of this family are represented by one or two species, the genus Corollospora, typified by Corollospora maritima Werderm, includes 25 arenicolous species typically found in beach sand, sea-foam, shell fragments, and algal thalli [3,4,5,6]. Besides their ability to rapidly degrade cellulose [7], species affiliated with this genus are known to produce bioactive metabolites [8,9] and can be potentially exploited as bioremediators of oil spill contaminated beaches [10]. Weak antibacterial activity was observed in fractions of C. lacera mycelial extract [14]

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion