Parasola malakandensis sp. nov. is described as a new species from Malakand, Pakistan, based on morpho-anatomical and molecular data. Morphological description and line drawings of anatomical structures for the new species and comparison with closely allied taxa are provided. Phylogenetic analyses based on internal transcribed spacer (ITS), large subunit of the nuclear ribosomal DNA (nrLSU) and gene for translation elongation factor 1α (tef-1α) are studied. Parasola malakandensis is placed in Parasola section Auricomi on account of dark brown sclerocystidia in the pileipellis and basidiospores with central germ-pore.

Marasmius campestris (Marasmiaceae, Agaricales), a member of sect. Globulares, is described as a new species from Hainan Island, a tropical region of China. It is morphologically characterized by an umbilicate, deeply sulcate and striped, purple-tinged pileus, a stipe covered with tiny scales, large basidiospores, well-developed cheilocystidia with irregular shape, a pileipellis consisting of Globulares-type cells, and growth in grassland. The phylogenetic analyses of DNA sequences from nuc rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) also confirm that it forms an independent lineage within Marasmius. Consequently, a description, color photos of fresh basidiomata and line-drawings of microstructures are presented.

We recently devised the dichlorvos–ammonia (DV–AM) method, a sensitive and simple visual method for detecting aflatoxigenic strains. The DV–AM method enables a prominent distinction of red (positive; aflatoxin-producing) colony from pale-yellow (negative; non-aflatoxigenic) colony via brilliant purple-red color of the backside of positive colonies. We used the DV–AM method to screen aflatoxigenic fungi from soil samples in Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan. We herein isolated seven positive (red) colonies and four negative (pale-yellow) colonies from one of the 100 independent samples. Chemical analyses demonstrated that these red isolates produced aflatoxins B₁ and B₂ without aflatoxins G₁ nor G₂. In contrast, 4 pale-yellow colonies with similar phenotypes to the Aspergillus flavus group were confirmed to be non-aflatoxigenic fungi. Morphological and phylogenic analyses of one positive strain (HA9-S1-1) indicated that it was A. flavus or its closely related species of Aspergillus. These aflatoxigenic strains showed differences in aflatoxin production, morphological characteristics, and sclerotia formation, suggesting that different types of aflatoxigenic strains were present in the same soil. These results demonstrated that the DV–AM method is practically useful for the direct isolation of aflatoxigenic and non-aflatoxigenic fungi from field samples.

Root rot of avocado (Persea americana) is an important disease in seedling nurseries as well as in the field in eastern and southern Australia. During an investigation into the causal organisms of avocado root rot, 19 isolates of Gliocladiopsis were obtained from necrotic lesions on avocado roots and examined by morphology and comparison of DNA sequences from three gene loci (the internal transcribed spacer region of the nuclear rDNA, Histone H3 and β-tubulin). Three new species of Gliocladiopsis are described as a result of phylogenetic analysis of these data. One of the new species, G. peggii, formed a monophyletic group that may represent an unresolved species complex as it contained a polytomy that included a well-supported clade comprising two subclades. Gliocladiopsis peggii is sister to G. mexicana, which is known from soil in Mexico. The remaining two new species, G. whileyi and G. forsbergii, formed a clade sister to G. curvata, which is known from Ecuador, Indonesia and New Zealand.

Two new cold-adapted yeast species, Cystobasidium tubakii sp. nov. and Cystobasidium ongulense sp. nov., were isolated from soil collected from East Ongul Island, East Antarctica, during the 49th Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition (JARE 49). Molecular analysis based on large subunit (LSU) D1/D2 domain and the combined sequences of small subunit (SSU) rDNA, internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, LSU D1/D2 domain and TEF1 sequences showed that these species are novel. Both species could grow at sub-zero temperatures and in vitamin-free media. These characteristics were likely obtained by the yeasts to survive oligotrophic environments such as that in Antarctica. This is the first report of new fungal species isolated from near the Syowa station in the 60-y history of JARE.

Candida tropicalis is a commonly isolated non-albicans Candida in Asia. In this clinical microbiology laboratory study, a total of 1579 C. tropicalis were isolated during 2009–2014 and of these 348 isolates were tested for azole susceptibility. We show that the current rates of fluconazole resistance in C. tropicalis increased from 2.9% in 2009–2011 to 9% in 2012–2014 (P = 0.03). High fluconazole minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were strongly associated with the presence of Y132F and S154F mutations in Erg11p. No amino acid changes were observed in Erg3p or Erg11p in sensitive isolates. This suggests that Y132F and S154F mutations were responsible for azole resistance. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) based phylogenetic analysis performed for azole-resistant isolates suggested possible clonal clustering of antifungal-resistance.

Podosphaera paracurvispora, a new powdery mildew species of Podosphaera sect. Podosphaera, is described and illustrated on Pyrus ussuriensis in China. Podosphaera paracurvispora differs from P. clandestina and P. leucotricha which are common causal agents of Pyrus powdery mildew in having crescent-shaped ascospores, and from P. curvispora, endemic in Japan on Sorbus spp., in having much broader pale brown ascospores. The morphological characteristics and phylogenetic analyses strongly suggest that the fungus is a new, undescribed species.

Mushrooms of the sections Lepidella and Amidella in the genus Amanita can cause acute renal injury. The paper reports the first two known cases of acute renal failure after ingestion of A. oberwinklerana in China. The cases' clinical symptoms were characterized by gastrointestinal toxicity 6 h after ingestion followed by mild hepatitis and severe acute renal failure, which are identical to the clinical symptoms of Amanita nephrotoxic syndrome. The mushroom species was identified using morphological and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequence data. HPLC analyses detected no amatoxins or phallotoxins in this species. The clinical syndromes and toxin profiles, as well as the phylogenetic analysis based on ITS sequences, strongly support the transfer of A. oberwinklerana from the section Phalloideae to the section Lepidella.