A phylogenetic revision of Penicillium oblatum and P. sabulosum as heat resistant molds

Abstract

In the course of a mycological survey of spoilage of pasteurized and packaged food products, we have frequently encountered Penicillium-like molds in precooked Japanese noodle and pasta products. Six isolates from the noodles and pasta have morphological similarities to two heat-resistant fungi, i.e. P. oblatum and P. sabulosum, which have been isolated from pasteurized products in Australia and described as the indistinct Penicillia. In this paper, with a phylogenetic comparison of the ITS region of rRNA, β-tubulin, and calmodulin genes between the isolates and the type strains of both species, we considered it an opportunity to re-evaluate the taxonomy of P. oblatum and P. sabulosum. As a result, these fungi were regarded to be distinct members of the genus Rasamsonia, Eurotiales. Therefore, we proposed two combinations: Rasamsonia oblata (Pitt & Hocking) Yanai & Udagawa and R. sabulosa (Pitt & Hocking) Yanai & Udagawa.