Redescription, Morphogenesis, and Molecular Phylogeny of Pseudosincirra longicirrata nov. comb., With Establishment of a New Genus Pseudosincirra nov. gen. (Ciliophora, Hypotrichia)

The morphology and morphogenesis of Pseudosincirra longicirrata nov. gen. and nov. comb., isolated from southern China, were investigated with living observation and protargol staining. Our population is similar to the original population in living characteristics and ciliary patterns. The main determinable morphogenetic features of P. longicirrata nov. comb. are the presence of five frontoventral-transverse cirral anlagen (FVT-anlagen) and a dorsomarginal kinety anlage. According to the origin of FVT-anlagen IV and V in proter, it can be determined that P. longicirrata nov. comb. possesses two frontoventral rows and one right marginal row. Hence, a new genus, Pseudosincirra nov. gen., is proposed, and the diagnosis of P. longicirrata nov. comb. is improved. The new genus is diagnosed as follows: adoral zone of membranelles and undulating membranes is in a Gonostomum pattern; there are three enlarged frontal cirri, one buccal cirrus, and one parabuccal cirrus; postperistomial cirrus and transverse cirri are lacking; there are two more or less long frontoventral rows and one right and two or more left marginal rows; cirri within all rows very widely spaced; dorsal kinety pattern is of Urosomoida type, that is, three dorsal kineties and one dorsomarginal kinety; and caudal cirri are present. Phylogenetic analyses based on the small subunit ribosomal (SSU rDNA) sequence data indicate that P. longicirrata nov. comb. clusters with Deviata and Perisincirra. It is considered that Pseudosincirra nov. gen. and Perisincirra paucicirrata should be assigned to the family Deviatidae; fine cirri, and cirri within all rows being relatively widely spaced, should be considered as plesiomorphies of Deviatidae; and Deviatidae is closely related to Dorsomarginalia or Strongylidium–Hemiamphisiella–Pseudouroleptus.

New Species of Chloroidium (Trebouxiophyceae, Chlorophyta) from East Asia

Chlorella-like green algae that reproduce only asexually by immotile autospores or motile zoospores are the most typical inhabitants of non-aquatic environments. They have a simple morphology that hampers their differentiation, but algae of such habit represent a diverse array of lineages, which are mostly in the classes Chlorophyceae and Trebouxiophyceae. One of these lineages is the order Watanabeales (Watanabea clade; Trebouxiophyceae), which comprises 10 genera that share a distinct mode of reproduction through unequally sized autospores. Most of these genera account for a few species that are rarely recorded in nature. In contrast, the genus Chloroidium is one of the most species-rich and widely distributed members of the order. Three strains of coccoid green alga were isolated during a study of soil algae in the temperate monsoon climate zone of Asia. These strains are described here as a new species, Chloroidium orientalis. SSU and ITS rDNA sequence data, morphological characteristics, and life cycle features differentiate these strains from known members of the genus.

Revealing the endophytic mycoflora in tea (Camellia sinensis) leaves in Sri Lanka: the first comprehensive study

Endophytic fungi are a diverse group of microorganisms that live asymptomatically in healthy tissues of host and they have been reported from all kinds of plant tissues such as leaves, stems, roots, flowers, and fruits. In this study, fungal endophytes associated with tea leaves (Camellia sinensis) were collected from Kandy, Kegalle, and Nuwara Eliya districts in Sri Lanka and were isolated, characterized, and identified. A total of twenty endophytic fungal isolates belonging to five genera were recovered and ITS-rDNA sequence data were used to identify them. All isolated endophytic fungal strains belong to the phylum Ascomycota and the majority of these isolates were identified as Colletotrichum species. Phyllosticta capitalensis was the most commonly found fungal endophyte in tea leaves and was recorded in all three districts where the samples were collected. This is the very first investigation on fungal endophytes associated with C. sinensis in Sri Lanka based on molecular sequence data. In addition, a comprehensive account of known endophytic fungi reported worldwide on Camellia sinensis is provided.

The Morphology, Taxonomy, and Phylogenetic Analyses of Five Freshwater Colonial Peritrich Ciliates (Alveolata, Ciliophora), Including the Descriptions of Two New Species

The morphology and phylogeny of two new sessilid species, Zoothamnium weishanicum n. sp. and Epicarchesium sinense n. sp., two insufficiently known species, Zoothamnium arbusculaEhrenberg, 1831 and Zoothamnium hentscheliKahl, 1935, and a well-known species, Carchesium polypinum (Linnaeus, 1767) Ehrenberg, 1838, collected from freshwater habitats of China, were investigated. Zoothamnium weishanicum n. sp. is characterized by its inverted bell-shaped zooids, double-layered peristomial lip, alternately branched stalk, and two different-length rows in infundibular polykinety 3 (P3). Epicarchesium sinense n. sp. is recognized by its asymmetric-pyriform zooids, single-layered peristomial lip, conspicuous cortical blisters on the pellicle, dichotomously branched stalk, and P3 containing one short inner row and two long outer rows. Based on previous and newly obtained data of the three known species, improved diagnoses and redescriptions are provided including, for the first time, data on the infraciliature of Z. arbuscula and Z. hentscheli. In addition, we analyzed the phylogeny of each species based on SSU rDNA sequence data.

Morphology and phylogeny of a new species, Pseudocercospora haldinae (Mycosphaerellaceae) on Haldina cordifolia from India

Pseudocercospora haldinae, a new anamorphic foliicolous hyphomycetous fungus discovered on living leaves of Haldina cordifolia (Rubiaceae) is taxonomically described and illustrated. This species is compared with closely related species of Pseudocercospora and other dematiaceous cercosporoid forms reported on the same host genus. The phylogeny of this species has been inferred from partial nuclear ribosomal 28S large subunit (LSU) and complete internal transcribed spacer (ITS) rDNA sequence data. On the basis of LSU, P. haldinae represents characteristic features of Pseudocercospora s. str. and did not form red crystals when cultivated on agar media.

A new species of Podosphaera sect. Sphaerotheca subsect. Sphaerotheca from India—first report of powdery mildew causing wilting and ultimately death of leaves of Filipendula vestita

Podosphaera filipendulensis, a new teleomorph of powdery mildew was discovered on living leaves of Filipendula vestita (Rosaceae). It is the first species of powdery mildew that causes wilting and ultimately death of apical infected leaves of F. vestita. It is described, illustrated and compared with other Podosphaera species reported on Rosaceae and a key to all species reported on Rosaceae is provided. The phylogeny of this species has been inferred from internal transcribed spacer (ITS) rDNA sequence data. Phylogenetically, P. filipendulensis is close to P. ferruginea var. ferruginea and P. macularis but differs in having larger chasmothecia, smaller peridium cells, shorter, narrower and aseptate appendages, 8-spored asci and smaller ascospores.

Species Diversity of the Pleurostomatid Ciliate Genus Amphileptus (Ciliophora, Haptoria), With Notes on the Taxonomy and Molecular Phylogeny of Three Species

Amphileptus is one of the largest genera of pleurostomatid ciliates and its species diversity has been reported in various habitats all over the world. In the present work, we review its biodiversity based on data with reliable morphological records. Our work confirms that there are 50 valid Amphileptus species, some of which have a wide range of salinity adaptability and diverse lifestyles. This genus has a high diversity in China but this might be because of the relatively intensive sampling. Phylogenetic analyses based on SSU rDNA sequence data verify the non-monophyly of the genus Amphileptus. Furthermore, two new and one poorly known Amphileptus species, namely A. shenzhenensis sp. n., A. cocous sp. n., and A. multinucleatusWang, 1934, from coastal habitats of southern China were investigated using morphological and molecular phylogenetic methods. These three species are highly similar based on their contractile vacuoles and macronuclear nodules. However, they can be discriminated by details of their living morphology and somatic kineties. We also propose two new combinations, Amphileptus polymicronuclei (Li, 1990) comb. n. (original combination Hemiophrys polymicronucleiLi, 1990) and Amphileptus salimicus (Burkovsky, 1970b) comb. n. (original combination Hemiophrys salimicaBurkovsky, 1970b).

First rDNA sequence data for Haplosplanchnus pachysomus (Digenea: Haplosplanchnidae) ex Mugil cephalus from the Black Sea, and molecular evidence for cryptic species within Haplosplanchnus pachysomus (Digenea: Haplosplanchnidae) in Palaearctic and Indo-West Pacific regions

Adult trematodes, morphologically similar to Haplosplanchnus pachysomus (Eysenhardt, 1829), were extracted from the intestine of Mugil cephalus Linnaeus, 1758, collected in the Black Sea basin. Morphological, morphometric and 28S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) partial sequence data were obtained for these trematodes following comparative analysis with previous data on this species. Worms from this study were morphologically identical to all previously reported H. pachysomus specimens from different locations. The results of the morphometric analysis indicated general similarity between H. pachysomus from the Black Sea and trematodes from Vietnam and Australia. Trematodes from the Black Sea and specimens from Spain were identical based on 28S rDNA partial sequences; however, these sequences differed from that of H. pachysomus from Vietnam and Australia by eight fixed substitutions. Overall, our results indicate that H. pachysomus from Spain and the Black Sea and from Vietnam and Australia can presently be considered as two cryptic species, one in Palaearctic and one in Indo-West Pacific regions. Our results provide a molecular base for including Haplosplanchnus purii in the genus Provitellotrema or to consider H. purii, P. crenimugilis and H. pachysomus within the same genus.

Morphomolecular Identification of Trichoderma sp. and their Mycoparasitic Activity Against Soil Borne Pathogens

This study was carried out to identify and characterize Trichoderma species isolated from rhizospheric soil of Uttar Pradesh, India, by using single spore technique. Morphological, cultural and molecular characterization were done with sequence analysis of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region. The classes were compared with morphological identification and rDNA sequence data for every class of all Trichoderma strains were of the same identity. These strains belonged to T. harzianum (Th azad), T. viride (01PP), T. asperellum (Tasp/CSAU), T. Koningii [TK (CSAU)], T. atroviride (71L), T. longibrachiatum (21PP), T. virens [Tvi (CSAU)], T. reesei [Tr (CSAU)], T. aggressivum [T.agg(CSAU)], T. aureoviride [T. avi (CSAU)], T. citrinoviride [T. cvi (CSAU)], T. erinaceum [T. eri (CSAU)], T. koningiopsis [T. kop (CSAU)], T. tomentosum [T. tos (CSAU)], T. mintisporum [T. mip (CSAU)], T. pubscenes [T. sce (CSAU)], T. saturnisporum [T. ssp (CSAU)], T. spirale [T. sp. (CSAU)]. Morphological studies were based on the colony appearance, growth rate and microscopic features such as branching patterns of conidiophores, the arrangement of phialospores and their shape, size and color. The 5.8S-ITS regions of the Trichoderma strains were amplified using ITS1 and ITS4 primers. The rRNA based analysis is a central method used not only to explore microbial diversity but also to identify new strains. Validations of ITS marker with 18 Trichoderma sp. were done and their sequences were deposited at NCBI GenBank their permanent accession no. were allotted.

Taxonomy and molecular phylogeny of four karyorelictid species belonging to the genera Apotrachelocerca and Tracheloraphis (Protozoa: Ciliophora), with descriptions of two new species

The taxonomy and phylogeny of four trachelocercid ciliates, Apotrachelocerca orientalis sp. nov., Tracheloraphis apoligostriata sp. nov., T. oligostriata and T. prenanti, isolated from marine habitats in Qingdao, China, were studied. The new species, A. orientalis sp. nov., can be distinguished from its most closely related congener, A. arenicola, by the absence of cortical granules and its conspicuously different SSU rDNA sequence. Tracheloraphis apoligostriata sp. nov. differs from the similar T. oligostriata by its body shape, distribution pattern of the cortical granules and SSU rDNA sequence. Based on available data, we suggest that T. prenanti can be defined by its colourless, globular cortical granules, which indicates that this species should be removed from the T. phoenicopterus-complex. Phylogenetic analyses based on SSU rDNA sequence data indicates that: A. orientalis sp. nov. groups with A. arenicola with full support, together sister to all other trachelocercid species; and T. cf. phoenicopterus, T. prenanti, T. oligostriata and T. apoligostriata sp. nov. form a clearly outlined clade.