Enlisting Aero-algal Flora and Algal Allergens Using Fan Dust Sampling Method from Pune, Maharashtra

Algae in the atmosphere are one of the bio-components of the environment. Despite the fact that they may have a negative impact on human health, they are the least studied organism in the field of aerobiology. Airborne algae continue to be viable in the atmosphere in the form of spores and filaments. In order to investigate the intramural diversity of airborne algae in Pune, eight residences were chosen, from which 16 fan dust samples were collected over a ten-day period. Total (108) aero-algal forms were recorded. Out of which 107 were Cyanophyta, and only one was Chlorophyta. The dominance of Cyanophyta members is attributed to the presence of a thick mucilaginous sheath around them, which allows them to tolerate the dryness. Overall, filamentous cyanophytes (71) outnumber coccoid cyanophytes (36). However, both fan dust slide samples and culture slide samples show variance. Coccoid cyanophytes (53) outnumber filamentous cyanophytes (11) in direct slide scans, although filamentous cyanophytes (25) were somewhat more numerous in culture samples than coccoid Cyanophyta (19). This increase in filamentous forms might be because of hormogonia of filamentous algae, which remained unidentified in direct slide scan and upon inoculation underwent reproduction increasing number of filamentous algae in culture slides. Chrooccocus, Gloeocapsa, Lyngbya, Nostoc, and Stigonema were among the forms found on the first and tenth days of fan dust sampling, indicating that they were a common inhabitant of fan dust during the study and that the fan, as an aero sampler, was able to capture them, demonstrating its potency as an aero sampler. Soil can be a substantial factor in the creation of fan dust, as these genera were frequently separated from the soil. Gloeocapsa, Phormidium, Lyngbya, Schizothrix, Cylindrospermum, Nostoc, Anabaena, Scytonema, Calothrix, and Scenedesmus were among the allergic aero-algal genera discovered during the investigation.

Crassoascoma gen. nov. (Lentitheciaceae, Pleosporales): Unrevealing Microfungi from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in China

Microfungi associated with woody plants on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau (QTP) were investigated, and four collections associated with Potentilla fruticosa were obtained from Gansu and Qinghai provinces in China. Morphologically, they line well with Lentitheciaceae in having subglobose to globose ascomata with brown setae on the papilla but can be distinguished from other genera by its superficial, globose, black, thick-walled ascomata, and fusiform, hyaline (rarely pale brown), one-septate ascospores, surrounded by an entire mucilaginous sheath. The phylogenetic analyses based on a combined SSU, ITS, LSU and TEF1-α sequence data showed that four isolates formed a monophyletic clade among the genera of Lentitheciaceae, and present as a distinct lineage (sister clade to Darksidea). Therefore, we introduce a new genus Crassoascoma, with C. potentillae as the type to accommodate these taxa. Detailed description and illustration are provided, and the establishment of new taxa is justified with morphology and phylogenetic evidence.

Lembosia mimusopis sp. nov. from Thailand

A novel species Lembosia mimusopis is introduced with evidence from morpho-molecular characterization. It was collected from the leaves of Mimusops elengi in Chiang Rai Province, Thailand. The new species is unique in having a mucilaginous sheath surrounding its immature ascospores. LSU sequence analyses phylogenetically support separation of this species from other Lembosia species.

Taxonomy and phylogenetic appraisal of Leptosphaeria chatkalica sp. nov. (Leptosphaeriaceae, Pleosporales) from Uzbekistan

Leptosphaeria chatkalica, found on dead stems of dicotyledon from Chatkal ridge of Western Tien Shan Mountains in Uzbekistan, is presented as a novel species based on morphological details and multi-locus phylogenetic analyses. Phylogenetic relationships of the novel species were established by analyzing the combined sequence data of LSU, ITS, SSU and tef1-α in Maximum parsimony, Maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference analyses. Leptosphaeria chatkalica is characterized by perithecial ascomata, club-like pedicel asci and yellowish-brown, 3-septate, fusiform ascospores with a mucilaginous sheath. A comprehensive characterization and micro-graphs, together with a comparison with other Leptosphaeria species are given.

Amphibambusa hongheensis sp. nov., a novel bambusicolous ascomycete from Yunnan, China

Amphibambusa hongheensis sp. nov. was collected from dead bamboo culms in Honghe County of Yunnan Province, China. The novel species is introduced based on the morpho-molecular approach. Morphologically, A. hongheensis fits well with Amphibambusa and is characterized by immersed, globose to subglobose ascomata, with protruding carbonaceous papilla, unitunicate, cylindrical to elongate fusiform, subsessile to short pedicellate asci with a J+, subapical ring, and fusiform, hyaline to pale brown, 1-septate ascospores, longitudinally striated, and surrounded by a thick mucilaginous sheath. Phylogenetic analyses of a concatenated ITS-LSU sequence dataset based on maximum-likelihood and Bayesian inference criteria revealed the phylogenetic affinity of A. hongheensis within Cainiaceae (Xylariales, Sordariomycetes). Amphibambusa hongheensis formed an independent subclade sister to A. bambusicola with moderate support (81% ML, 0.96 PP) and clustered with the genus Arecophila in Cainiaceae. Amphibambusa hongheensis is the second species accommodated in Amphibambusa and is reported from Yunnan, China, for the first time. Detailed description, illustration and updated phylogeny are provided.

Introducing a new pleosporalean family Sublophiostomataceae fam. nov. to accommodate Sublophiostoma gen. nov.

Collections of microfungi on bamboo and grasses in Thailand revealed an interesting species morphologically resembling Lophiostoma, but which can be distinguished from the latter based on multi-locus phylogeny. In this paper, a new genus, Sublophiostoma is introduced to accommodate the taxon, S. thailandica sp. nov. Phylogenetic analyses using combined ITS, LSU, RPB2, SSU, and TEF sequences demonstrate that six strains of the new species form a distinct clade within Pleosporales, but cannot be assigned to any existing family. Therefore, a new family Sublophiostomataceae (Pleosporales) is introduced to accommodate the new genus. The sexual morph of Sublophiostomataceae is characterized by subglobose to hemisphaerical, ostiolate ascomata, with crest-like openings, a peridium with cells of textura angularis to textura epidermoidea, cylindric-clavate asci with a bulbous or foot-like narrow pedicel and a well-developed ocular chamber, and hyaline, fusiform, 1-septate ascospores surrounded by a large mucilaginous sheath. The asexual morph (coelomycetous) of the species are observed on culture media.

Addition to Micropeltidaceae: Micropeltis goniothalamicola sp. nov. and new record of Scolecopeltidium menglaense from Chiang Rai, Thailand

A novel species, Micropeltis goniothalamicola and a new record Scolecopeltidium menglaense were collected from Mae Fah Luang Botanical Gardens, Thailand. Our new taxon is different from other species in Micropeltis in having relatively smaller ascomata, 6–8-spored asci and 4–5-septate ascospores covering with mucilaginous sheath. Our new record, S. menglaense is the first host recorded from Jasmine grandiflorum (Oleaceae). Morphological comparison coupled with phylogenetic analysis of combined LSU and ITS sequence data provide evidence for the new species and new host record.

Picocyanobacteria aggregation as a response to predation pressure: direct contact is not necessary

ABSTRACT Picocyanobacteria (cells <2 µm) can be found either as single-cells (Pcy) or embedded in a mucilaginous sheath as microcolonies or colonies (CPcy). It has been demonstrated that phenotypic plasticity in picocyanobacteria (i.e. the capability of single-cells to aggregate into colonies) can be induced as a response to grazing pressure. The effect of the presence of different predators (cladocerans and rotifers) on the morphological composition of picocyanobacteria was studied in a natural community, and it was observed that the abundance of CPcy significantly increased in all treatments with zooplankton compared with the control without zooplankton. The aggregation capability was also evaluated in a single-cell strain by adding a conditioned medium of flagellates, rotifers and cladocerans. The proportion of cells forming colonies was significantly higher in all treatments with conditioned medium regardless of the predator. These results suggest that the aggregation of Pcy can be induced as a response to the predation pressure exerted by protists and different zooplankters, and also that Pcy has the capability to aggregate into CPcy even without direct contact with any predator, most probably due to the presence of an infochemical dissolved in the water that does not come from disrupted Pcy cells.

Iodosphaeria honghense sp. nov. (Iodosphaeriaceae, Xylariales) from Yunnan Province, China

Iodosphaeria honghense sp. nov., collected from dead twigs of an unknown host in Honghe, Yunnan Province, China, is introduced based on morphological characteristics and phylogenetic analyses. Iodosphaeria honghense is distinct from other similar taxa in having cylindrical to allantoid, guttulate ascospores without a mucilaginous sheath. Maximum likelihood and Bayesian analyses based on combined LSU, ITS and RPB2 data matrix indicate that I. honghense forms a distinct lineage within the Iodosphaeriaceae. This study provides a detailed description and illustrations with morphological comparisons, and includes a key to accepted Iodosphaeria species.

Wicklowia submersa sp. nov. (Wicklowiaceae, Pleosporales), a second species in a monotypic family

A new freshwater ascomycetous species, Wicklowia submersa was found on submerged wood in a freshwater stream in Krabi Province in southern Thailand. This is a second species in a monotypic family. Morphological examination and phylogenetic analysis of LSU and SSU sequence data support this new species as belonging to Wicklowia in the family Wicklowiaceae (Pleosporales). Wicklowia submersa possesses ascomata that are immersed, erumpent when mature, raised and visible as dark oval or slit-like structures on host surface. The bitunicate asci have well-developed ocular chambers when immature with a short pedicel. Ascospores are ellipsoidal-oblong, asymmetrical, 1-septate, guttulate when immature, hyaline, with a distinctly mucilaginous sheath. The characteristics of the asci, and ascospores which lack both apical and basal appendages distinguish it from the type species W. aquatic. A description, illustration and comparison of the new species is provided. The risk of introducing monotypic families is discussed.