Phylogeny and intraspecific variation of the extreme xerophile, Xeromyces bisporus

Olga Vinnere Pettersson; Su-lin L Leong; Henrik Lantz; Therese Rice; Jan Dijksterhuis; Jos Houbraken; Robert A Samson; Johan Schnürer

doi:10.1016/j.funbio.2011.06.012

Phylogeny and intraspecific variation of the extreme xerophile, Xeromyces bisporus

Fungal Biol. 2011 Nov;115(11):1100-11. doi: 10.1016/j.funbio.2011.06.012. Epub 2011 Jul 22.

Authors

Olga Vinnere Pettersson¹, Su-lin L Leong, Henrik Lantz, Therese Rice, Jan Dijksterhuis, Jos Houbraken, Robert A Samson, Johan Schnürer

Affiliation

¹ Department of Microbiology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), P.O. Box 7025, SE-75007 Uppsala, Sweden. olga.vinnere.pettersson@slu.se

PMID: 22036289
DOI: 10.1016/j.funbio.2011.06.012

Abstract

The filamentous ascomycete Xeromyces bisporus is an extreme xerophile able to grow down to a water activity of 0.62. We have inferred the phylogenetic position of Xeromyces in relation to other xerophilic and xerotolerant fungi in the order Eurotiales. Using nrDNA and betatubulin sequences, we show that it is more closely related to the xerophilic foodborne species of the genus Chrysosporium, than to the genus Monascus. The taxonomy of X. bisporus and Monascus is discussed. Based on physiological, morphological, and phylogenetic distinctiveness, we suggest that Xeromyces should be retained as a separate genus.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Eurotiales / classification*
Eurotiales / genetics*
Eurotiales / metabolism
Fungal Proteins / genetics
Genetic Variation*
Molecular Sequence Data
Phylogeny*
Water / metabolism*

Substances

Fungal Proteins
Water