Ingoldian Fungi Research Articles

Seasonal fluctuations and diversity of Ingoldian mycobiota in two water bodies receiving different effluents at Assiut Governorate (Upper Egypt)

In the current study, fifty-eight Ingoldain fungal species assignable to forty-one genera were recovered from two water bodies receiving the treated sewage and the effluents of oils and soaps factory at Assiut Governorate (Upper Egypt), of which Anguillospora, Amniculicola, Flagellospora, and Mycocentrospora were the most prevalent genera. The most widespread identified species were Anguillospora furtive, Amniculicola longissima and Flagellospora fusarioides. Forty-three species were identified for the first time in Egypt. The most Ingoldain taxa were estimated for El-Zinnar canal, with the highest recorded taxa in winter. Whereas, the highest dominance of Ingoldian fungi was estimated for the El-Ibrahimia canal. The highest Simpson and Shannon diversity indexes were estimated for El-Zinnar canal samples recording 0.9683 and 3.741, respectively. The poorest water sites with Ingoldian fungi were those exposed directly to either treated sewage or industrial effluents, with which relatively higher values of water conductivity, cations and anions. Water temperature was the main abiotic factor driving the seasonal occurrence of Ingoldian fungi. It is interesting to isolate some Ingoldian fungal species from the stressful water sites receiving the effluents which provide valuable insights regarding their adaptation, predictive and putative role as bioindicators and their potentiality in pollutants degradation, organic decomposition, and transformation of xenobiotic compounds.

Aquatic hyphomycetes associated with plant debris in freshwater ecosystems of the Atlantic Forest of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil

ABSTRACT Aquatic hyphomycetes decompose submerged detritus in aquatic ecosystems making organic matter more nutritious and palatable for consumption by aquatic invertebrates. They can be classified into three ecological groups based on their morphology and form of sporulation: aero-aquatic fungi, facultative aquatic fungi and Ingoldian fungi. The current study provides an inventory of aquatic hyphomycetes associated with submerged debris (leaves and twigs) of streams and lakes in the Atlantic Forest of Rio Grande do Norte. In addition, new records for the area are described. Substrate collections were carried out in eight streams and two lakes. Two methodologies were used for the analysis of decomposing substrates: moist chamber and submerged incubation. Seventy-seven taxa were found, distributed in 49 genera of aquatic hyphomycetes associated with plant debris in water bodies of the Atlantic Forest of Rio Grande do Norte. Sixteen taxa are new records for Rio Grande do Norte, two are new records for Brazil (Gyrothrix encephalarti and Triscelophorus konajensis) and one for the Americas (Flagellospora minuta). The study demonstrated a high species richness of aquatic hyphomycetes for the Atlantic Forest of Rio Grande do Norte and can serve as a model for studies on the conservation of Funga in these areas.

Identificación taxonómica de hifomicetos acuáticos en la cuenca alta del río Bogotá (Colombia) a partir de muestras de espuma

Based on the fact that hyphomycetes or ingoldian fungi are microorganisms present in aquatic environments such as rivers in which they are involved in the decomposition of organic material, returning energy to the higher levels of the trophic chain, but despite their importance, few studies have been conducted on their diversity and presence in these ecosystems, the objective of this work was to identify the hyphomycetes present in the upper Bogotá river basin. This was done by taking foam samples in the backwaters of the rivers, staining them with lactophenol blue and observing them with optical microscopy to identify the ingoldian fungi based on the morphology of their conidia with the use of taxonomic keys. A total of 10 genera and 10 species were identified, of which 4 genera and 7 species are new reports for the Colombian territory, which demonstrates the great diversity and lack of knowledge that we have of these microorganisms in our country. Keywords: conidia; identification; aquatic fungi; river

Landscape scale ecology of Tetracladium spp. fungal root endophytes

BackgroundThe genus Tetracladium De Wild. (Ascomycota) has been traditionally regarded as a group of Ingoldian fungi or aquatic hyphomycetes—a polyphyletic group of phylogenetically diverse fungi which grow on decaying leaves and plant litter in streams. Recent sequencing evidence has shown that Tetracladium spp. may also exist as root endophytes in terrestrial environments, and furthermore may have beneficial effects on the health and growth of their host. However, the diversity of Tetracladium spp. communities in terrestrial systems and the factors which shape their distribution are largely unknown.ResultsUsing a fungal community internal transcribed spacer amplicon dataset from 37 UK Brassica napus fields we found that soils contained diverse Tetracladium spp., most of which represent previously uncharacterised clades. The two most abundant operational taxonomic units (OTUs), related to previously described aquatic T. furcatum and T. maxilliforme, were enriched in roots relative to bulk and rhizosphere soil. For both taxa, relative abundance in roots, but not rhizosphere or bulk soil was correlated with B. napus yield. The relative abundance of T. furcatum and T. maxilliforme OTUs across compartments showed very similar responses with respect to agricultural management practices and soil characteristics. The factors shaping the relative abundance of OTUs homologous to T. furcatum and T. maxilliforme OTUs in roots were assessed using linear regression and structural equation modelling. Relative abundance of T. maxilliforme and T. furcatum in roots increased with pH, concentrations of phosphorus, and increased rotation frequency of oilseed rape. It decreased with increased soil water content, concentrations of extractable phosphorus, chromium, and iron.ConclusionsThe genus Tetracladium as a root colonising endophyte is a diverse and widely distributed part of the oilseed rape microbiome that positively correlates to crop yield. The main drivers of its community composition are crop management practices and soil nutrients.

Ingoldian fungal assemblages from Brazilian rainforests, shrubland and savanna

ABSTRACT Ingoldian fungi are a dominant group in aquatic environments. However, they are poorly known and studied, especially in the tropics. To increase knowledge about their diversity and distribution, samples of foam and decaying submerged leaves were collected from 12 areas in Brazil across four biomes (Amazon, Atlantic Forest, Caatinga, and Cerrado). Slides were deposited in the HUEFS Herbarium. Thirty-five taxa were identified from foam and 24 from leaf spore suspension. These were distributed in five classes, mostly belonging to Ascomycota, with Leotiomycetes being the most representative class. Angulospora aquatica, Biflagellosporella amazonensis, Isthmotricladia laeensis and Lateriramulosa bi-inflata are new records for Brazil; Variocladium rangiferinum and Tricladium fuscum are new records for the Neotropics; and Polylobatispora deltoidea is a new record for the Americas. Description, illustration, and geographical distribution details are provided for the new records. The study showed a high richness of Ingoldian fungi and provides a basis for determining the biodiversity and ultimate conservation of the studied areas.

Studies on aquatic fungi in Dikarya: a review of the literature from Southern Cone of South America.

A bibliographic analysis was carried out to update the state of knowledge about aquatic fungi belonging to the subkingdom Dikarya in the Southern Cone of South America. The exhaustive search resulted in 38 articles reported. These papers correspond to those on taxonomic, ecological and biogeographic topics and include studies from lotic environments of the temperate ecoregions of Chile and Argentina. A total of 325 aquatic fungal taxa were reported, of which 318 belong to the phylum Ascomycota and 7 to the phylum Basidiomycota. According to the subgroups of these aquatic fungi 17 taxa were aero-aquatic, 199 facultative and 109 Ingoldian fungi. Regarding the methodologies, in these studies the information was obtained mainly by using lignocellulosic substrates such as leaf litter and wood as fungal source and wet chamber traditional working technique. However, more studies are still needed using other few-reported perspectives for the region such as ecological and molecular approaches as well as analyses of water environments belonging to unexplored biomes. This information can contribute to a better understanding of aquatic fungal communities and their role in ecosystems of the Southern Cone of South America.

New Taxa of the Family Amniculicolaceae (Pleosporales, Dothideomycetes, Ascomycota) from Freshwater Habitats in Spain.

With the exception of the so-called Ingoldian fungi, the diversity and distribution of the freshwater aero-aquatic or facultative fungi are not well known in Spain. In view of that, we collected and placed into wet chambers 105 samples of submerged and decomposing plant debris from various places in Spain, looking for individuals belonging to these latter two morpho-ecological groups of fungi. As a result, we found and isolated in pure culture several fungi, the morphology of some of them belonging to the family Amniculicolaceae (order Pleosporales, class Dothideomycetes). After a careful phenotypic characterization and a phylogenetic tree reconstruction using a concatenated sequence dataset of D1-D2 domains of the 28S nrRNA gene (LSU), the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) of the nrDNA, and a fragment of the translation elongation factor 1-alpha (tef1) gene, we report the finding of three new species of the genus Murispora: Murispora navicularispora, which produces cinnamon-colored, broadly fusiform to navicular ascospores; Murispora fissilispora, which has as a remarkable characteristic the production of both sexual and asexual morphs in vitro; and Murispora asexualis, the unique species of the genus that lacks a sexual morph. As a consequence of the phylogenetic study, we introduce the new aero-aquatic genus Fouskomenomyces, with a new combination (Fouskomenomyces cupreorufescens, formerly Spirosphaera cupreorufescens as the type species of the genus) and a new species, Fouskomenomyces mimiticus; we propose the new combinations Murispora bromicola (formerly Pseudomassariosphaeria bromicola) and Murispora triseptata (formerly Pseudomassariosphaeria triseptata); and we resurrect Massariosphaeria grandispora, which is transferred to the family Lopiostomataceae.

Ingoldian fungi in terrestrial damp woody litter of five tree species

Ingoldian fungi are known to occur beyond their preferred lotic habitats. There are many reports on their occurrence in tree canopies (stemflow, through fall and tree holes) and terrestrial leaf litter. This study aimed to assess the assemblage and diversity of Ingoldian fungi in terrestrial damp woody litter of five tree species grown in scrub jungles of the southwest India, following bubble (2 days) and damp chamber (14 days) incubations of segments of bark and cambium samples. Conidia released into water were trapped using Millipore filters, stained and assessed. Total 30 fungal species were recorded, with a higher species richness in bubble chamber as compared to damp chamber incubation method (25 spp. vs. 18 spp.). The bark samples in bubble chamber incubation method yielded more species than cambium samples (19 spp. vs. 16 spp.). The bark samples in bubble chamber incubation also showed the highest number of exclusive species as compared to cambium samples (8 spp. vs. 6 spp.). Simpson and Shannon diversities were higher in bark samples than cambium samples in bubble chamber incubation with low Pielou’s equitability. The frequency of occurrence of the top three species (Anguillospora longissima, Flagellospora curvula and Triscelophorus acuminatus) and top two species (A. longissima and F. curvula) were same in both samples in bubble and damp chamber incubations, respectively. The bark samples of Terminalia paniculata and cambium samples of Ficus benghalensis showed the highest number of average species in bubble chamber incubation. The bark samples of Acacia auriculiformis as well as F. benghalensis possess the highest number of average species in damp chamber incubation, while the cambium samples of Artocarpus heterophyllus showed the highest number of average species. All tree species showed the higher number of average conidia in bark samples as compared to cambium samples in bubble chamber incubation, with a highest frequency in Anacardium occidentale. The bark of Acacia auriculiformis and cambium of F. benghalensis showed the highest average conidia in damp chamber incubation. Bubble chamber incubation served as a rapid and efficient method of assessment of Ingoldian fungi in damp woody litter.

Assemblage of dematiaceous and Ingoldian fungi associated with leaf litter of decomposing Typha latifolia L. (Typhaceae) in riverine wetlands of the Pampean plain (Argentina) exposed to different water quality

The purpose of this study was to analyze the rate of sporulation, richness, and spore diversity of dematiaceous and Ingoldian fungi colonizing Typha latifolia leaves during a 40-day period of decomposition, as well as the loss of mass in Typha latifolia, in four riverine wetlands of Pampean plain (Argentina) with different water quality. Higher sporulation rates, richness, and diversity of the fungi as well as loss of mass of the leaves that they colonized were associated with lower water quality. Anguilospora longissima, Arthrinium sp., Margaritispora aquatica, and Tricellula botryosa were dominant taxa. Redundancy analysis showed two fungal assemblages related to different environmental conditions. One assemblage was related to higher nutrient levels and higher temperature, characterized mainly by dematiaceous fungi. The other assemblage was related to higher levels of pH and dissolved oxygen, which was mainly represented by Ingoldian fungi. The results obtained in our study demonstrated the link between these fungal assemblages and changes in water quality, revealing their potential as indicators of environmental changes in rivers exposed to different types of land use.

The genus Tetracladium in Pampean streams (Buenos Aires, Argentina)

Ingoldian fungi are frequently found in streams of the northern hemisphere, as well as in other regions worldwide. Even though they have high relevance as decomposers of fallen leaves, information on this group of fungi in Argentina is scarce. To assess the presence of ingoldian fungi in Pampean streams, samples of foam from 14 streams of different basins were collected. Four species and a new form of Tetracladium were recorded: Tetracladium breve, T. furcatum, T. marchalianum, T. setigerum and Tetracladium sp. Tetracladium furcatum is reported for the first time in South America, while T. breve and T. marchalianum are first records for Argentina.

Fungi from leaves of lotus (Nelumbo nucifera)

In spite of the self-cleaning property of its leaves called the lotus effect, leaves of lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) provide a habitat for an unknown fungal diversity. The aim of this study was to detect and identify fungi from leaves of N. nucifera, including ectophytic, parasitic and endophytic fungi, in Taiwan using different collection strategies, as well as morphological and diverse molecular markers established in the different systematic groups of fungi. Among ectophytic and parasitic fungi, a new species of Dissoconium and of Pseudocercospora are described, respectively. Phyllosticta nelumbonis Sawada is transferred to Diaporthe. Among plant parasitic fungi, Erysiphe takamatsui and Ps. nymphaeacea are recorded in Taiwan for the first time. Euryale is recorded as a new host genus for Ps. nymphaeacea. The basidiomycetous yeast Fereydounia khargensis is recorded for the first time from living plants and in East Asia. Endophytic fungi from lotus were studied for the first time. From 1002 plant segments, 476 endophytic isolates were produced in culture, comprising 33 typical terrestrial species mainly belonging to the genera Colletotrichum (mainly C. siamense), Diaporthe (D. tulliensis and D. ueckerae) and Fusarium (F. solani species 6, hitherto known from clinical samples), as well as to Xylariaceae, but no Ingoldian fungi. Most isolates were from leaf laminas (71%) compared to those from petioles (29%). From this observation, we conclude that the fungi of the aquatic lotus plant appear to have terrestrial origin and, after dispersal by wind and in spite of the lotus effect, may enter the plant from the lamina. Only three species isolated as endophytes were also found as ectophytic or parasitic fungi.

Ingoldian fungi of Brazil: some new records and a review including a checklist and a key

Ingoldian fungi have a worldwide distribution, but the most species have been described from temperate regions. In Brazil, the studies of Ingoldian fungi started in the 1980’s in the Atlantic Forest, the state of São Paulo. Later studies extended to other biomes such as the Cerrado, Caatinga and Amazon. The aim of this study is to improve our understanding of the occurrence and distribution of Ingoldian fungi in Brazil. Here, we include and discuss several new records for Brazil associated with submerged leaves of Calophyllum brasiliense and provide a checklist, a key and illustrations for all species of the Ingoldian fungi recorded from Brazil, as well as distribution maps. Flagellospora stricta is a new record to the Americas; Dendrosporomyces prolifer and Geniculospora inflata to the Neotropics; Pyramidospora casuarinae and Triscelophorus monosporus are new records to the Caatinga. With the new additions of species associated with submerged leaves of C. brasiliense, a total of 85 taxa of Ingoldian fungi are now recorded in Brazil. Nineteen taxa are reported from the Amazon, 53 from the Atlantic Forest, 39 from the Caatinga and 21 from the Cerrado.

First records of Ingoldian fungi from the Brazilian Amazon

Ingoldian fungi play an important ecological role by active participation in the decomposition of submerged leaves in aquatic ecosystems. These fungi produce conidia that are filiform, tetraradiate, multiradiate, scolecoid or sigmoid, which aid in the adaptation and dispersal in freshwater habitats. Despite their important ecological role in freshwater there have been no taxonomic and distributional studies of these fungi in the Brazilian Amazon. The aim of this study was to report new records of Ingoldian fungi to Americas, Brazil and Brazilian Amazon region. The fungal specimens were obtained from natural foam, found on the surface of streams in the “Reserva Ducke” (municipality of Manaus) and the “Balneario Marupiara” (municipality of Presidente Figueiredo) in Amazonas state, Brazil. The foam samples were transferred to slides and completely evaporated at room temperature. Lactic acid was added to the slides and covered using a glass cover slip and sealed with nail polish. Seventeen taxa were recorded. All identified taxa are new records: one new to the Americas (Tricladium curvisporum Descals), three new to Brazil (Condylospora flexuosa Nawawi and Kuthub., C. spumigena Nawawi and Dwayaangam cornuta Descals), and 13 new to the Brazilian Amazon region. Our study provides baseline data on the species composition of Ingoldian fungi from the Brazilian Amazon region, thereby enhancing the knowledge of aquatic mycology in this biodiversity hotspot. Descriptions, illustrations, geographical distribution patterns and comments are presented for all observed species.

Fungos conidiais associados a substratos vegetais submersos em algumas áreas do bioma Caatinga

Os fungos conidiais desempenham importante papel em ecossistemas dulcícolas, sendo responsáveis pela decomposição de matéria orgânica. No bioma Caatinga, contudo, estudos abordando estes fungos ainda são incipientes. Neste estudo realizou-se um levantamento de fungos conidiais aquáticos associados a substratos vegetais submersos em ambientes lóticos, em um período de dois anos, em cinco áreas inseridas neste bioma (Brejo Paraibano-PB, APA da Chapada do Araripe e PARNA de Ubajara-CE, PARNA da Serra das Confusões-PI, Serra da Jibóia-BA). Foram identificadas 90 espécies distribuídas em 62 gêneros. Duas foram classificadas como ingoldianas, duas como aero-aquáticas, e 86 como aquático-facultativas. A área que apresentou o maior número de espécies foi o Brejo Paraibano com 34 espécies, e com o menor número foi a APA da Chapada do Araripe com 20. Quanto aos substratos vegetais, a lâmina foliar apresentou o maior número de espécies, com 63. A similaridade entre as áreas, segundo índice de Sørensen, foi considerada baixa, com valores inferiores a 50%. Os dados contribuem para o conhecimento da biodiversidade de fungos aquáticos no bioma Caatinga.

Ingoldian fungi from the semi-arid Caatinga biome of Brazil

Ingoldian fungi from the semi-arid Caatinga biome of Brazil

Ingoldian Fungi in Kigga Falls, Chikmagalur District, Karnataka.

Ingoldian Fungi in Kigga Falls, Chikmagalur District, Karnataka.

Biodiversity of rock, beach and water fungi in Italy

The fungal biodiversity in its overall is mostly still unknown and the ecological role of these organisms, particularly in some border ecosystems, is often underestimated. This study aims to give both an overview of the state of the art and to present new data on the mycodiversity in some peculiar environments as rocks, beach sand, and water in Italy. Particularly, rock fungi are here reported from high mountain peaks, sea cliffs, and monuments; sand associated fungi from beach ecosystems in Puglia and Ligurian coasts; marine fungi associated with the endemic seagrass of the Mediterranean Posidonia oceanica L.; aquatic hyphomycetes (Ingoldian fungi) from both streams in the Ticino Natural Park and lentic water in Lago Maggiore; fungi from the water distribution system in Turin. Ecological and evolutive considerations are put forward.

Checklist of Freshwater Fungi in Thailand

Abstract The Thai freshwater fungi are reviewed. Substrates range from baits (Dipterocarpus alatus, Licuala longicalycata and Xylia dolabriformis) to submerged natural wood, collected in northern (Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai), and southern (Narathiwat) and northeastern (Nakorn Ratchassima) parts of the kingdom. The checklist comprises 173 identified species (including 34 Ingoldian fungi) published up to the end of 2010 and is supported with references. The taxa belong to 112 genera, including 30 Sordariomycetes, 12 Dothideomycetes and 70 anamorphic genera. The most frequently collected genera are the hyphomycetes Biflagellospora, Canalisporium, Dactylaria, Dictyosporium and Xylomyces. Five new genera and 26 new species were first described from Thai freshwater habitats. Fungal diversity in different substrates and Sorensen's index in different sites are discussed.

Diversity of lignicolous and Ingoldian fungi on woody litter from the River Kali (Western Ghats, India)

Three hundred and sixty woody litter samples naturally deposited in a stream and dammed section of the River Kali in southwest India were assessed for the diversity of lignicolous fungi (ascomycetes and anamorphic fungi) via damp chamber incubation and aquatic hyphomycetes (Ingoldian fungi) via bubble chamber incubation. Fifty-six fungal taxa were recorded with the highest of 47 taxa in the stream and 34 taxa in the dam. Twenty-five taxa were common to both sites. The core group (≥10%) comprised one ascomycete (Massarina australiensis), two anamorphic taxa (Acrogenospora sphaerocephala and Sporoschisma saccardoi) and 11 Ingoldian fungi (Anguillospora crassa, A. longissima, Clavariana aquatica, Cylindrocarpon sp., Flagellospora curvula, F. penicillioides, Lunulospora curvula, L. cymbiformis, Lunulospora sp., Triscelophorus acuminatus, T. monosporus). The species richness, average taxa per wood sample, richness of core group fungi and fungal diversity were higher in the Kaiga stream than in the Kadra dam. Species abundance curves showed higher frequency of occurrence of fungi in the stream than in the dam woody litter. The rarefaction indices of fungal species against number of wood samples revealed similar pattern of ascomycetes in both locations, while the richness of anamorphic and Ingoldian taxa was higher in the stream than in the dam. The anamorph/teleomorph ratio ranged between 2.4:1 (Kadra dam) and 3.3:1 (Kaiga stream), which is higher than the ratios reported from other geographical locations (0.7:1−2:1). This study reconfirmed that the method of incubation influences the assessment of fungal communities in woody litter and that Ingoldian fungi also constitute an important component of woody litter.

Optimal sample size for species composition evaluation of leaf litter in mountain streambeds

Aquatic hyphomycetes or Ingoldian fungi are the major decomposers of leaf litter in temperate aquatic ecosystems. Role of leaf litter quality in structuring hyphomycete communities is intensively discussed among hydrobiologists. Therefore, an adequate sampling strategy of the leaf litter is essential in this field. The present paper aims analysing the appropriate sample size of leaf litter with various diversity and evenness combinations taken from streambeds in the temperate deciduous forest zone.Leaf litter in the streambed was sampled at four stream sections of two tributaries of the Morgo stream in the Borzsony Mts, Hungary. The tributaries differed in water chemistry, altitude and riparian vegetation. To analyse species number-sample size relations, species saturation diagrams were drawn and statistically evaluated.Results showed that: (1) a sample size of 500 leaves sufficiently describes the species composition of leaf litter taken from streambeds in the temperate forest zone, in cases of low diversity forest stands and high diversity forest stands coupled with high evenness; and (2) for forest sites with high diversity coupled with low evenness values a litter sample composed by 800-1000 leaves is advised to investigate to achieve satisfactory estimation of the species composition of leaf litter.The sampling methods described in this paper are proposed for studies where estimation of leaf litter composition is required to understand the available substrate quality for litter decomposing organisms.