Host: The Japanese Society for Medical Mycology
Purpose
The genus Emericella is one of the teleomorphs of Aspergillus. The species are of medical importance as infective pathogens and carcinogenic producers. They are classified based on the surface structure of ascospores by scanning electron microscopy imaging. On the other hand, phylogenetic systematics in the genus is not fully investigated. In this study, we carry out phylogenetic analysis and clarify a relationship between the molecular phylogenetics and morphological knowledge.
Method
The nucleotide sequences were determined on three genes, β - tubulin, rodlet A and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region in rRNA gene. And dendrograms were described with NJ methods.
Results and Discussion
The dendrograms based on β - tubulin and rodlet A genes are almost corresponding. In the ITS region usually used to specify the species, the homologies among the species are too high to do cluster analysis. Several species having ascospores of smooth convex surfaces with narrow equatorial crests formed a cluster. Other species having ascospores of cancellous, ribbed or appendaged surfaces with narrow crests and smooth surfaces with broad crests formed four different clusters, respectively. Thus, it is revealed that morphological features of ascospores are related with molecular phylogenetics.
