Light plays an important role during both sexual and asexual growth of Ophiocordyceps sinensis, one of the best-known traditional Chinese medicines. In the present study, we cloned Oswc-1, the homologue of the blue light photoreceptor Ncwc-1 of Neurospora crassa, from O. sinensis by Hi-tail polymerase chain reaction. The deduced amino acid sequence of Oswc-1 contains the similar function domains as NcWC-1 including transcriptional activation, LOV (Light, Oxygen, or Voltage), PAS (Per-Arnt-Sim) and Zinc Finger domains. Phylogenetic analysis based on fungal WC-1 supported OsWC-1 was a blue light receptor. The expression of Oswc-1 messenger RNA was up-regulated upon irradiation significantly.

Thekopsora ostryae, a new rust fungus on leaves of Ostrya japonica collected from Gansu Province was described. Morphological examination using light and scanning electron microscopy showed that this new species is distinct from other species of Thekopsora in the characteristics of ostiolar peridial cells of uredinia and the spinules on the surface of urediniospores. Analyses of the ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 and 28S rRNA gene partial sequences showed that T. ostryae could be a distinct lineage in the genus Thekopsora.

Cytospora species are the most serious and widespread pathogens associated with canker disease on multiple plants. In this study, three species, i.e., Cytospora sophoricola, C. chrysosperma, and C. sophorae, which were isolated from Sophora in China, are described and illustrated based on their morphological characteristics and phylogenetic analyses. Cytospora sophoricola was distinguished clearly by its larger disc, multiple ostioles, cystic and multiple locules, and specific cultural characteristics, i.e., protruding fruiting bodies. Maximum parsimony and maximum likelihood analysis showed that it did not cluster with any known species of Cytospora, so it is described as a new species. Cytospora sophorae is a previously reported species from Sophora, which is redescribed based on new isolates and additional observations. Another species was identified as C. chrysosperma, which is reported for the first time on Sophora, so Papilionaceae is shown to be a new host family for C. chrysosperma. The morphological affinities of these species with related taxa are discussed, while the phylogenetic relationships of these species with other fungus in the genus Cytospora were elucidated based on their internal transcribed spacer (ITS) rRNA region sequences.

Although bananas are economically important crops and many fungi are recorded from these plants, detailed data about the fungi are scarce, e.g. with respect to their distribution and morphology in the field and in culture. Three hyphomycetes (anamorphic Dothideomycetes) known as potential pathogens on leaves of Musa species were identified based on morphology and DNA sequences. For the first time, Ramichloridium biverticillatum and R. musae are recorded from Panama and R. biverticillatum and R. ducassei from Taiwan and new hosts. The fungi are described and illustrated in detail from observation in situ and compared to their known morphology in vitro, in order to clarify some deviating molecular and morphological data from different sources. An updated preliminary key to Ramichloridium species on banana leaves is provided.

Trichomycetes from the guts of aquatic insects have been surveyed for the first time in Hungary. Legeriomyces hungaricus sp. nov. is described along with two new geographic records, L. ramosus and Stachylina grandispora, all of them Harpellales (Kickxellomycotina). The new species is distinguished from others by having smaller zygospores and a characteristic bell-shaped (campanulate) holdfast, unknown so far in other species of Legeriomyces. An unidentified species of Paramoebidium was also observed along with L. ramosus in nymphs of Baetis rhodani (Ephemeroptera). This preliminary report adds to the existing data on gut fungi and we hope will encourage further research on these cryptic endosymbionts in Hungary and its vicinity.

Tricholoma matsutake is an ectomycorrhizal basidiomycete that associates with Pinaceae plants, forming a rhizospheric mycelial aggregate called “shiro” from which the prized “matsutake” mushrooms form. Here we document that T. matsutake associates in vitro with Andean Cedrela herrerae (Meliaceae) via root endophyte interactions and efficiently forms shiro. C. herrerae produces many branches, leaves, and lateral roots in association with T. matsutake, unlike C. odorata, which grows in the tropics and produces few leaves and branches in association with the symbiont. This symbiosis may be a unique approach to culturing matsutake as well as to cultivating endangered plant species in vitro.

Full-length cDNAs of three genes encoding glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenases (GPDs), PoGPD1, PoGPD2-1, and PoGPD2-2, and their corresponding genomic DNA were isolated from the basidiomycete mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus strain H1. The deduced amino acid sequences of PoGPD1, PoGPD2-1, and PoGPD2-2 had a high degree of similarity to known GPDs of other organisms, especially basidiomycetes. Similar to GPDs of other organisms, the three PoGPDs consist of the GPD NAD⁺-binding domain, the GPD C-terminal catalytic domain, and conserved amino acid domains responsible for catalysis, cofactor binding, and substrate binding. Genomic sequence analysis revealed that PoGPD1, PoGPD2-1, and PoGPD2-2 contained seven, eight, and seven introns, respectively, with highly conserved positions. Comparison of the genomic sequences of PoGPD2-1 and PoGPD2-2 in the dikaryon of strain H1 and monokaryons of strain H1 revealed that PoGPD2-1 and PoGPD2-2 are different alleles of PoGPD2. Real-time quantitative reverse-transcription-PCR revealed that the expression patterns of PoGPD1 and PoGPD2 differed during fruit-body development. Specifically, transcript levels of PoGPD1 were high in the primordial stage, while transcript levels of PoGPD2 were high in the mycelial stage. Furthermore, levels of both transcripts were the highest in the base of mature fruit bodies.

Two new species of Heterobasidion, H. amyloideum and H. tibeticum, are described and illustrated from eastern Himalayas. Both species are closely related to the Heterobasidion insulare complex in morphology, but they differ in presence of cystidia and amyloid skeletal hyphae in the context. Phylogenetically, the combined RPB1 and RPB2 sequence data supports H. amyloideum and H. tibeticum as two distinct species within the H. insulare complex.

Minimelanolocus bicolorata sp. nov., Paradendryphiopsis elegans sp. nov. and Corynesporella bannaense sp. nov., are described and illustrated. Minimelanolocus bicolorata is unique in possessing the schizolytic conidial secession and solitary, acropleurogenous, holoblastic conidia that are ellipsoidal, 3-euseptate, 30–35 × 7.5–9.5 μm, verruculose, pale brown, with an appendage at each end. Paradendryphiopsis elegans is characterized by monoblastic conidiogenous cells producing short chains of conidia that are 13–30.5 × 4–6.5 μm, 2–3-euseptate and fusiform to obclavate. Corynesporella bannaense is distinguished by terminal and integrated or discrete, monotretic conidiogenous cells that arise as lateral branches from the tip of the conidiophore and solitary conidia that are 12–16-distoseptate, smooth, obclavate, thick-walled, pale brown, and 100–140 × 10–14 μm. Keys to species of Minimelanolocus, Paradendryphiopsis and Corynesporella are provided.

A new species, Mortierella thereuopodae, is described for a fungus sporulating on fecal pellets of the centipede Thereuopoda clunifera (Chilopoda). The species produces large cymosely to verticillately branched sporangiophores on well-developed rhizoids with the formation of chlamydospore clusters.

Over the past 40 years in Japan, Phytophthora isolates have been collected from various diseased host tissues and infested soils and identified using morphological characters. In order to develop a molecular method for the characterization of Japanese Phytophthora species, we obtained nuclear ribosomal ITS and LSU and mitochondrial coxI DNA sequences from 151 isolates representing 21 known species and 10 unidentified isolates. These were compared with similar sequences from representative isolates of known species. Of these, 124 isolates were found to have been correctly identified. Among the remaining 37 isolates, 19 showed high homology with other described species. The remaining 18 isolates showed only low levels of homology with any known species, and generated monophyletic sub-clades in a phylogenetic tree based on the ITS and nLSU regions and the coxI gene. Therefore, these isolates are candidates for new species, falling into six groups. Together, the Japanese isolates were found to represent phylogenetically diverse groups of species. In a sequence variation analysis, the ITS regions and the coxI genes were found to be more variable than the nLSU sequences, suggesting that they will be more useful for Phytophthora identification.