Phylogeny and taxonomy of two new species in Dictyosporiaceae (Pleosporales, Dothideomycetes) from Guizhou, China.

Two novel species within the family Dictyosporiaceae are described and illustrated from terrestrial habitats on dead culms of bamboo and an unidentified plant, respectively. Through morphological comparisons and the multi-locus phylogenetic analyses of combined LSU, ITS, SSU, and tef1-α sequence dataset, two species, Gregaritheciumbambusicola, Pseudocoleophomaparaphysoidea are identified. Phylogenetically, both species clustered into a monophyletic clade with strong bootstrap support. Gregaritheciumbambusicola sp. nov. can be distinguished from other species within the genus based on its almost straight ascospores. Pseudocoleophomaparaphysoidea sp. nov. differs from other species in its conidiogenous cells intermixed with paraphyses, longer conidiogenous cells and larger conidia. The identification of this lineage contributes to our understanding of the classification of Dictyosporiaceae.

Three novel species of Aquapteridospora (Distoseptisporales, Aquapteridosporaceae) from freshwater habitats in Tibetan Plateau, China.

During an investigation of lignicolous freshwater fungi in the Tibetan Plateau, three Aquapteridospora taxa were collected from freshwater habitats in Xizang, China. The new species possess polyblastic, sympodial, denticles conidiogenous cells and fusiform, septate, with or without sheath conidial, that fit within the generic concept of Aquapteridospora, and multi-gene phylogeny placed these species within Aquapteridospora. Detailed morphological observations clearly demarcate three of these from extant species and are hence described as new taxa. The multi-gene phylogeny of the combined LSU, TEF1-α, and ITS sequence data to infer phylogenetic relationships and discuss phylogenetic affinities with morphologically similar species. Based on morphological characteristics and phylogenetic analyses, three new species viz. A.linzhiensis, A.yadongensis, and A.submersa are introduced. Details of asexual morphs are described, and justifications for establishing these new species are also provided in this study.

Occurrence and Morpho-Molecular Identification of Botryosphaeriales Species from Guizhou Province, China.

Botryosphaeriales is an important order of diverse fungal pathogens, saprobes, and endophytes distributed worldwide. Recent studies of Botryosphaeriales in China have discovered a broad range of species, some of which have not been formerly described. In this study, 60 saprobic isolates were obtained from decaying woody hosts in southwestern China. The isolates were compared with other species using morphological characteristics, and available DNA sequence data was used to infer phylogenetic analyses based on the internal transcribed spacer (ITS), large subunit rRNA gene (LSU), and translation elongation factor 1-α (tef) loci. Three novel species were illustrated and described as Botryobambusa guizhouensis, Sardiniella elliptica, and Sphaeropsis guizhouensis, which belong to rarely identified genera within Botryosphaeriaceae. Botryobambusa guizhouensis is the second species identified from the respective monotypic genus. The previously known species were identified as Aplosporella hesperidica, Barriopsis tectonae, Botryosphaeria dothidea, Diplodia mutila, Di. neojuniperi, Di. pseudoseriata, Di. sapinea, Di. seriata, Dothiorella sarmentorum, Do. yunnana, Lasiodiplodia pseudotheobromae, Neofusicoccum parvum, Sardiniella celtidis, Sa. guizhouensis, and Sphaeropsis citrigena. The results of this study indicate that numerous species of Botryosphaeriales are yet to be revealed in southwestern China.

Additions to the Genus Arthrinium (Apiosporaceae) From Bamboos in China.

Arthrinium has a widespread distribution occurring in various substrates (e.g., air, soil debris, plants, lichens, marine algae and even human tissues). It is characterized by the basauxic conidiogenesis in the asexual morph, with apiospores in the sexual morph. In this study, seventeen isolates of Arthrinium were collected in China. Based on their morphology and phylogenetic characterization, four new species (A. biseriale, A. cyclobalanopsidis, A. gelatinosum, and A. septatum) are described and seven known species (A. arundinis, A. garethjonesii, A. guizhouense, A. hydei, A. neosubglobosa, A. phyllostachium and A. psedoparenchymaticum) are identified, of which the sexual morph of three species (A. guizhouense, A. phyllostachium and A. psedoparenchymaticum) and asexual morph of A. garethjonesii are reported for the first time. The detailed descriptions, illustrations and comparisons with related taxa of these new collections are provided. Phylogenetic analyses of combined ITS, LSU, TUB2, and TEF sequence data support their placements in the genus Arthrinium and justify the new species establishments and identifications of known species.

Unravelling Diaporthe Species Associated with Woody Hosts from Karst Formations (Guizhou) in China.

Though several Diaporthe species have been reported in China, little is known about the species associated with nature reserves in Guizhou province. During a survey of fungi in six nature reserves in Guizhou province of China, thirty-one Diaporthe isolates were collected from different woody hosts. Based on morphology, culture characteristics and molecular phylogenetic analysis, these isolates were characterized and identified. Phylogenetic analysis of internal transcribed spacer region (ITS), combined with translation elongation factor 1-alpha (tef), ß-tubulin (tub), calmodulin (cal) and histone H3 (his) gene regions identified five known Diaporthe species and seven distinct lineages representing novel Diaporthe species. The details of five known species: Diaporthe cercidis, D. cinnamomi, D. conica, D. nobilis and D. sackstonii are given and the seven new species D. constrictospora, D. ellipsospora, D. guttulata, D. irregularis, D. lenispora, D. minima, and D. minusculata are introduced with detailed descriptions and illustrations. This study revealed a high diversity of previously undescribed Diaporthe species associated with woody hosts in various nature reserves of Guizhou province, indicating that there is a potential of Diaporthe species remains to be discovered in this unique landform (Karst formations) in China. Interestingly, the five known Diaporthe species have been reported as pathogens of various hosts, and this could indicate that those newly introduced species in this study could be potentially pathogenic pending further studies to confirm.

Ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy of thyroid nodules <10 mm in the maximum diameter: does size matter?

OBJECTIVE: Ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy (US-FNAB) is a safe and effective method of screening malignant thyroid nodules such as papillary thyroid carcinoma. However, not much data are available regarding the diagnostic efficacy of US-FNAB for papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (≤10 mm in diameter). We aim to compare the diagnostic efficacy of US-FNAB on thyroid nodules between two groups divided by a diameter of 10 mm by correlating the cytological results of US-FNAB with the histopathologic diagnoses in selected patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Eight hundred twenty-two thyroid nodules (Group A: diameter ≤10 mm, n=620; Group B: diameter >10 mm, n=202) from 797 patients treated between March 2014 and June 2017 were retrospectively evaluated. Only nodules with Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (TIRADS) categories 4-6 were enrolled and sampled by US-FNAB, followed by surgical resection. RESULTS: According to The Bethesda System for Reporting Thyroid Cytopathology (TBSRTC) diagnostic categories, 94 thyroid nodules were classified as I, III and IV, and were excluded from the analysis. The resultant 728 thyroid nodules from 721 patients were analyzed. The malignant tendency (TBSRTC V and VI) rates on US-FNAB were 88.2% and 84.6% (P=0.202) in Group A and Group B, respectively, and the malignant rates were 89.5% and 86.9% (P=0.330), respectively, on histopathology. There was a high concordance between cytology and histopathology diagnoses (kappa value =0.797), and no statistical difference in terms of US-FNAB accuracy was found between the two groups (P=0.533). CONCLUSION: For thyroid nodules of TIRADS category 4-6, the diagnostic efficacy of US-FNAB is similar for thyroid nodules either smaller or greater than 10 mm in their maximum diameter.