Molecular systematics of Keratinophyton: the inclusion of species formerly referred to Chrysosporium and description of four new species

Roman Labuda,Hazal Kandemir,Alena Kubátová,Christoph Schüller,Andreas Bernreiter,Doris Hochenauer

doi:10.1186/s43008-021-00070-2

Abstract

Four new Keratinophyton species (Ascomycota, Pezizomycotina, Onygenales), K. gollerae, K. lemmensii, K. straussii, and K. wagneri, isolated from soil samples originating from Europe (Austria, Italy, and Slovakia) are described and illustrated. The new taxa are well supported by phylogenetic analysis of the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) region, the combined data analysis of ITS and the nuclear large subunit (LSU) rDNA, and their phenotype. Based on ITS phylogeny, within the Keratinophyton clade, K. lemmensii is clustered with K. durum, K. hubeiense, K. submersum, and K. siglerae, while K. gollerae, K. straussii and K. wagneri are resolved in a separate terminal cluster. All four new species can be well distinguished from other species in the genus based on phenotype characteristics alone. Ten new combinations are proposed for Chrysosporium species which are resolved in the monophyletic Keratinophyton clade. A new key to the recognized species is provided herein.

Highlights

Keratinophyton is a genus of microscopic fungi (Ascomycota, Onygenales, Onygenaceae) comprising species that live mostly on the remains of hair and feather in soil as saprotrophs (Cano and Guarro 1990; Hubka et al 2016; Sutton et al 2013; Vidal et al 2000)
Ability to digest keratin after 21 d was observed in all four new species on both testing media
Phylogeny Phylogenetic reconstruction using internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences resulted in clustering of a new species, Keratinophyton lemmensii, with K. durum, K. hubeiense and K. submersum, and forming a sister clade to K. siglerae

Summary

Introduction

Keratinophyton is a genus of microscopic fungi (Ascomycota, Onygenales, Onygenaceae) comprising species that live mostly on the remains of hair and feather in soil as saprotrophs (Cano and Guarro 1990; Hubka et al 2016; Sutton et al 2013; Vidal et al 2000). The following reports confirm their world-wide distribution and occurrence in different habitats usually associated with soil environments, e.g. soil in city parks (Papini et al 1998; Vidyasagar et al 2005), flower pots (Singh et al 2009), sand in children’s sandpits (Labuda et al 2008), mud (Zaki et al 2005), poultry farms (Anbu et al 2004; Cano and Guarro 1990), marshy meadows, salt pans, desert, cultivated or uncultivated soils (Cano and Guarro 1990; Chmel and Vláčilíková 1977; Deshmukh 2004; Deshmukh et al 2008; Han et al 2013; Javorekova et al 2012; Zhang et al 2016; Zhang et al 2017) and river sediments (Ulfig et al 1997; Vidal et al 2000; Vidal et al 2002) These fungi are rarely reported as animal pathogens, and only two species C. echinulatum and C. pannicola (formerly known as C. evolceanui) have been involved in mycoses (Hajsig et al 1974; Cabanes et al 2014; Hubka et al 2016)

Methods

Results

Conclusion