A New Genus of the Microascaceae (Ascomycota) Family from a Hypersaline Lagoon in Spain and the Delimitation of the Genus Wardomyces.

The Saladas de Sástago-Bujaraloz is an endorheic and arheic complex of lagoons located in the Ebro Basin and protected by the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. Due to the semi-arid climate of the region and the high salinity of their waters, these lagoons constitute an extreme environment. We surveyed the biodiversity of salt-tolerant and halophilic fungi residents of the Laguna de Pito, a lagoon belonging to this complex. Therefore, we collected several samples of water, sediments, and soil of the periphery. Throughout the study, we isolated 21 fungal species, including a strain morphologically related to the family Microascaceae. However, this strain did not morphologically match any of genera within this family. After an in-depth morphological characterization and phylogenetic analysis using a concatenated sequence dataset of four phylogenetically informative molecular markers (the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) of the nuclear ribosomal DNA (nrDNA); the D1-D2 domains of the 28S gene of the nuclear ribosomal RNA (LSU); and a fragment of the translation elongation factor 1-alpha (EF-1α) and the ß-tubulin (tub2) genes), we established the new genus Dactyliodendromyces, with Dactyliodendromyces holomorphus as its species. Additionally, as a result of our taxonomic study, we reclassified the paraphyletic genus Wardomyces into three different genera: Wardomyces sensu stricto, Parawardomyces gen. nov., and Pseudowardomyces gen. nov., with Parawardomyces ovalis (formerly Wardomyces ovalis) and Pseudowardomyces humicola (formerly Wardomyces humicola) as the type species of their respective genera. Furthermore, we propose new combinations, including Parawardomyces giganteus (formerly Wardomyces giganteus) and Pseudowardomyces pulvinatus (formerly Wardomyces pulvinatus).

Diversity of Rock-Inhabiting Fungi in Tarragona Province, Spain.

Rock-inhabiting fungi (RIF) are usually extremely tolerant or extremophilic, as they can survive on natural and artificial rocks despite being exposed to stressful conditions. RIF have serious negative effects on the appearance and cohesion of rocky substrates, causing the alteration and decomposition of building materials, but also on human and animal health, as they can act as opportunistic pathogens. Their identification is therefore of great importance, especially in urban areas. In the present study, culturing techniques for isolating fungi, and a polyphasic taxonomic approach to their identification, were used to assess the diversity of micromycetes that darken the surfaces of buildings in various villages and cities in Tarragona Province (Spain). Sixty-four species of RIF belonging to forty-one genera were identified, including a new genus (Coccodomyces) and the following six new fungal species: Coccodomyces pleiosporus, Exophiala caementiphila, Exophiala multiformis, Neocatenulostroma spinulosum, Neodevriesia longicatenispora, and Paradevriesia holothallica. Thus, we have established that building materials are ecological niches where a high biodiversity of RIF can develop.

A new endophytic species of Microthecium (Melanosporales, Sordariomycetes, Pezizomycotina, Ascomycota) from Mallorca (Balearic Islands, Spain) / Una nueva especie endofítica de Microthecium (Melanosporales, Sordariomycetes, Pezizomycotina, Ascomycota) de Mallorca (Islas Baleares, España)

Background The genus Microthecium contains 31 species worldwide distributed. Most of them are saprobic on soil and plant debris, but a few have been reported as mycoparasites on hypocrealean fungi. By contrast, this genus has never been reported as phytopathogenic, nor endophytic. Aims To isolate and identify endophytic fungi from Mediterranean herbaceous plants and trees in order to contribute to the knowledge of the hosts and their geographical location. The present work has been focused on the study of endophytic fungi of hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna). Methods The following steps were taken: i, isolation of the fungal strain from living stems of C. monogyna; ii, cultural and micro-morphological study, and iii, sequence comparison of different genetic markers by BLAST search with sequences deposited in GenBank. Results At the present work we describe a new species of the genus, Microthecium pleomorphosporum, isolated from living stems of C. monogyna in Mallorca (Balearic Islands, Spain). This fungus is characterized by the production of non-ostiolate perithecia and two sorts of ascospores (some smooth-walled, others delicately reticulated) bearing a germ pore at each end which are frequently ornamented by a surrounding donut-like structures, and a phialidic asexual morph and bulbils. The morphologically closest related species is Microthecium tenuissimum, which has bigger ascospores and lacks asexual reproduction. Phylogenetically, M pleomorphosporum is close-related to other species of the genus, although no genetic marker that discriminates this new species from other phylogenetically closer ones could be elucidated as a gold standard. Conclusions M. pleomorphosporum, order Melanosporales, is reported here as the first endophytic species of C. monogyna. (AU)

Antecedentes El género Microthecium incluye 31 especies de distribución cosmopolita. La gran mayoría de ellas son saprobias en el suelo y se encuentran sobre detritos vegetales, y tan solo unas pocas se han descrito como micoparásitas de hongos hipocreales. Por el contrario, nunca se había descrito a este género como fitopatógeno ni endofítico. Objetivos Aislar e identificar hongos endófitos de plantas herbáceas y árboles mediterráneos con el fin de contribuir al conocimiento de los hospederos y su situación geográfica. El presente trabajo se ha centrado en el estudio de los hongos endófitos del espino albar (Crataegus monogyna). Métodos Se incluyeron diferentes procesos: (1) aislamiento de la cepa fúngica a partir de tallos vivos de Crataegus monogyna; (2) estudio cultural y micromorfológico y (3) comparación de las secuencias nucleotídicas de diferentes marcadores filogenéticamente informativos con secuencias de taxones conocidos depositadas en el GenBank mediante búsqueda BLAST. Resultados En el presente trabajo describimos una nueva especie para el género, Microthecium pleomorphosporum, aislada de tallos vivos de C. monogyna en Mallorca (Islas Baleares, España). Este hongo se caracteriza por la producción de peritecios no ostiolados y de dos tipos de ascosporas (unas con paredes lisas y otras con paredes delicadamente reticuladas), con un poro germinativo en cada extremo frecuentemente ornamentado por estructuras circundantes en forma de rosquilla, y un estado asexual que produce conidios fialídicos y bulbillos. La especie morfológicamente más cercana es Microthecium tenuissimum, que tiene ascosporas más grandes y carece de multiplicación asexual. Filogenéticamente, Microthecium pleomorphosporum está estrechamente emparentada con otras especies del género y no se ha podido establecer ningún marcador genético de referencia (gold standard) para discriminar esta nueva especie de otras filogenéticamente más próximas. Conclusiones ... (AU)

Hybrid De Novo Whole-Genome Assembly, Annotation, and Identification of Secondary Metabolite Gene Clusters in the Ex-Type Strain of Chrysosporium keratinophilum.

Chrysosporium is a polyphyletic genus belonging (mostly) to different families of the order Onygenales (Eurotiomycetes, Ascomycota). Certain species, such as Chrysosporium keratinophilum, are pathogenic for animals, including humans, but are also a source of proteolytic enzymes (mainly keratinases) potentially useful in bioremediation. However, only a few studies have been published regarding bioactive compounds, of which the production is mostly unpredictable due to the absence of high-quality genomic sequences. During the development of our study, the genome of the ex-type strain of Chrysosporium keratinophilum, CBS 104.66, was sequenced and assembled using a hybrid method. The results showed a high-quality genome of 25.4 Mbp in size spread across 25 contigs, with an N50 of 2.0 Mb, 34,824 coding sequences, 8002 protein sequences, 166 tRNAs, and 24 rRNAs. The functional annotation of the predicted proteins was performed using InterProScan, and the KEGG pathway mapping using BlastKOALA. The results identified a total of 3529 protein families and 856 superfamilies, which were classified into six levels and 23 KEGG categories. Subsequently, using DIAMOND, we identified 83 pathogen-host interactions (PHI) and 421 carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes). Finally, the analysis using AntiSMASH showed that this strain has a total of 27 biosynthesis gene clusters (BGCs), suggesting that it has a great potential to produce a wide variety of secondary metabolites. This genomic information provides new knowledge that allows for a deeper understanding of the biology of C. keratinophilum, and offers valuable new information for further investigations of the Chrysosporium species and the order Onygenales.

Amesia hispanica sp. nov., Producer of the Antifungal Class of Antibiotics Dactylfungins.

During a study of the diversity of soilborne fungi from Spain, a strain belonging to the family Chaetomiaceae (Sordariales) was isolated. The multigene phylogenetic inference using five DNA loci showed that this strain represents an undescribed species of the genus Amesia, herein introduced as A. hispanica sp. nov. Investigation of its secondary metabolome led to the isolation of two new derivatives (2 and 3) of the known antifungal antibiotic dactylfungin A (1), together with the known compound cochliodinol (4). The planar structures of 1-4 were determined by ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detection and ion mobility tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-DAD-IM-MS/MS) and extensive 1D and 2D nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy after isolation by HPLC. All isolated secondary metabolites were tested for their antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities. Dactylfungin A (1) showed selective and strong antifungal activity against some of the tested human pathogens (Aspergillus fumigatus and Cryptococcus neoformans). The additional hydroxyl group in 2 resulted in the loss of activity against C. neoformans but still retained the inhibition of As. fumigatus in a lower concentration than that of the respective control, without showing any cytotoxic effects. In contrast, 25″-dehydroxy-dactylfungin A (3) exhibited improved activity against yeasts (Schizosaccharomyces pombe and Rhodotorula glutinis) than 1 and 2, but resulted in the appearance of slight cytotoxicity. The present study exemplifies how even in a well-studied taxonomic group such as the Chaetomiaceae, the investigation of novel taxa still brings chemistry novelty, as demonstrated in this first report of this antibiotic class for chaetomiaceous and sordarialean taxa.

A new endophytic species of Microthecium (Melanosporales, Sordariomycetes, Pezizomycotina, Ascomycota) from Mallorca (Balearic Islands, Spain).

BACKGROUND: The genus Microthecium contains 31 species worldwide distributed. Most of them are saprobic on soil and plant debris, but a few have been reported as mycoparasites on hypocrealean fungi. By contrast, this genus has never been reported as phytopathogenic, nor endophytic. AIMS: To isolate and identify endophytic fungi from Mediterranean herbaceous plants and trees in order to contribute to the knowledge of the hosts and their geographical location. The present work has been focused on the study of endophytic fungi of hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna). METHODS: The following steps were taken: i, isolation of the fungal strain from living stems of C. monogyna; ii, cultural and micro-morphological study, and iii, sequence comparison of different genetic markers by BLAST search with sequences deposited in GenBank. RESULTS: At the present work we describe a new species of the genus, Microthecium pleomorphosporum, isolated from living stems of C. monogyna in Mallorca (Balearic Islands, Spain). This fungus is characterized by the production of non-ostiolate perithecia and two sorts of ascospores (some smooth-walled, others delicately reticulated) bearing a germ pore at each end which are frequently ornamented by a surrounding donut-like structures, and a phialidic asexual morph and bulbils. The morphologically closest related species is Microthecium tenuissimum, which has bigger ascospores and lacks asexual reproduction. Phylogenetically, M pleomorphosporum is close-related to other species of the genus, although no genetic marker that discriminates this new species from other phylogenetically closer ones could be elucidated as a gold standard. CONCLUSIONS: M. pleomorphosporum, order Melanosporales, is reported here as the first endophytic species of C. monogyna.

Novel Freshwater Ascomycetes from Spain.

Freshwater ascomycetes are a group of fungi of great ecological importance because they are involved in decomposition processes and the recycling of organic matter in aquatic ecosystems. The taxonomy of these fungi is complex, with representatives in several orders of the phylum Ascomycota. In the present study, we collected ninety-two samples of plant debris submerged in freshwater in different locations in Spain. The plant specimens were placed in wet chambers and developed several fungi that were later isolated in pure culture. A main phylogenetic tree using the nucleotide sequences of D1-D2 domains of the 28S nrRNA gene (LSU) was built to show the taxonomic placement of all our fungal strains, and, later, individual phylogenies for the different families were built using single or concatenated nucleotide sequences of the most suitable molecular markers. As a result, we found a new species of Amniculicola that produces a coelomycetous asexual state, a new species of Elongatopedicellata that produces an asexual state, a new species of Neovaginatispora that forms both sexual and asexual states in vitro, and the sexual states of two species of Pyrenochaetopsis, none of which have been reported before for these genera. In addition, we describe a new species of Pilidium characterized by the production of copper-colored globose conidiomata, and of Pseudosigmoidea, which produces well-developed conidiophores.

First Report of an Invasive Infection by Cephalotrichum gorgonifer in a Neutropenic Patient with Hematological Malignancy under Chemotherapy.

The etiological agents of infrequent invasive fungal infections (IFI) are difficult to identify on the species level using classic morphological examination. We describe the first case of an IFI caused by Cephalotrichum gorgonifer in a neutropenic patient with a hematological malignancy and put it on the map as a new causative agent of IFI. Case report, microbiological findings and description of the etiological agent. A 60-year-old man was diagnosed with mantle cell lymphoma. A CT scan confirmed the presence of lung infiltrates located at the right upper lobe. Histological examination of one of the nodules showed a large number of narrow septate hyphae with acute-angle branching and irregular round cell morphology; vessels walls appeared infiltrated, proving an angioinvasive pulmonary IFI. Sample culture resulted positive and molecular identification proved the presence of Cephalotrichum gorgonifer. Voriconazole was used for 12 months and the patient did not report any complications or side effects. Complete remission of lymphoma was achieved later by the time chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and radioimmunotherapy consolidation were completed. We recommend the inclusion of Cephalotrichum gorgonifer in the list of opportunistic pathogens causing mycoses in neutropenic hematological patients with suspected mould-related IFI.

New Dothideomycetes from Freshwater Habitats in Spain.

The Dothideomycetes are a class of cosmopolitan fungi that are present principally in terrestrial environments, but which have also been found in freshwater and marine habitats. In the present study, more than a hundred samples of plant debris were collected from various freshwater locations in Spain. Its incubation in wet chambers allowed us to detect and to isolate in pure culture numerous fungi producing asexual reproductive fruiting bodies (conidiomata). Thanks to a morphological comparison and to a phylogenetic analysis that combined the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of the nrDNA with fragments of the RNA polymerase II subunit 2 (rpb2), beta tubulin (tub2), and the translation elongation factor 1-alpha (tef-1) genes, six of those strains were identified as new species to science. Three belong to the family Didymellaceae: Didymella brevipilosa, Heterophoma polypusiformis and Paraboeremia clausa; and three belong to the family Phaeosphaeriaceae:Paraphoma aquatica, Phaeosphaeria fructigena and Xenophoma microspora. The finding of these new taxa significantly increases the number of the coelomycetous fungi that have been described from freshwater habitats.

A revision of malbranchea-like fungi from clinical specimens in the United States of America reveals unexpected novelty.

The fungi of the order Onygenales can cause important human infections; however, their taxonomy and worldwide occurrence is still little known. We have studied and identified a representative number of clinical fungi belonging to that order from a reference laboratory in the USA. A total of 22 strains isolated from respiratory tract (40%) and human skin and nails (27.2%) showed a malbranchea-like morphology. Six genera were phenotypically and molecularly identified, i.e. Auxarthron/Malbranchea (68.2%), Arachnomyces (9.1%), Spiromastigoides (9.1%), and Currahmyces (4.5%), and two newly proposed genera (4.5% each). Based on the results of the phylogenetic study, we synonymized Auxarthron with Malbranchea, and erected two new genera: Pseudoarthropsis and Pseudomalbranchea. New species proposed are: Arachnomyces bostrychodes, A. graciliformis, Currahmyces sparsispora, Malbranchea gymnoascoides, M. multiseptata, M. stricta, Pseudoarthropsis crassispora, Pseudomalbranchea gemmata, and Spiromastigoides geomycoides, along with a new combination for Malbranchea gypsea. The echinocandins showed the highest in vitro antifungal activity against the studied isolates, followed by terbinafine and posaconazole; in contrast, amphotericin B, fluconazole, itraconazole and 5-fluorocytosine were less active or lacked in vitro activity against these fungi.

Apophysomyces variabilis, an emerging and worrisome cause of primary cutaneous necrotizing infections in India.

In India, Apophysomyces species complex is the second common agent of mucormycosis mainly affecting immunocompetent hosts unlike other Mucorales. It is frequently involved in causing necrotizing cutaneous infections. The present two-year study was planned to investigate the causative role of Apophysomyces spp. in cutaneous necrotizing infections. The tissue samples were processed using standard techniques and in five out of 65 patients, Apophysomyces variabilis was the etiological agent. Diabetes mellitus and trauma were common risk factors and despite appropriate treatment only one patient could be survived. Apophysomyces variabilis is emerging as agent of necrotizing infections which invariably result in poor patient outcomes.

New Coelomycetous Fungi from Freshwater in Spain.

Coelomycetous fungi are ubiquitous in soil, sewage, and sea- and freshwater environments. However, freshwater coelomycetous fungi have been very rarely reported in the literature. Knowledge of coelomycetous fungi in freshwater habitats in Spain is poor. The incubation of plant debris, from freshwater in various places in Spain into wet chambers, allowed us to detect and isolate in pure culture several pycnidia-producing fungi. Fungal strains were phenotypically characterized, and a phylogenetic study was carried out based on the analysis of concatenated nucleotide sequences of the D1-D2 domains of the 28S nrRNA gene (LSU), the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) of the nrDNA, and fragments of the RNA polymerase II subunit 2 (rpb2) and beta tubulin (tub2) genes. As a result of these, we report the finding of two novel species of Neocucurbitaria, three of Neopyrenochaeta, and one of Pyrenochaetopsis. Based on the phylogenetic study, we also transferred Neocucurbitaria prunicola to the genus Allocucurbitaria. This work makes an important contribution to the knowledge of the mycobiota of plant debris in freshwater habitats.

Morinagadepsin, a Depsipeptide from the Fungus Morinagamyces vermicularis gen. et comb. nov.

The new genus Morinagamyces is introduced herein to accommodate the fungus Apiosordaria vermicularis as inferred from a phylogenetic study based on sequences of the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS), the nuclear rDNA large subunit (LSU), and partial fragments of ribosomal polymerase II subunit 2 (rpb2) and ß-tubulin (tub2) genes. Morinagamyces vermicularis was analyzed for the production of secondary metabolites, resulting in the isolation of a new depsipeptide named morinagadepsin (1), and the already known chaetone B (3). While the planar structure of 1 was elucidated by extensive 1D- and 2D-NMR analysis and high-resolution mass spectrometry, the absolute configuration of the building blocks Ala, Val, and Leu was determined as -l by Marfey's method. The configuration of the 3-hydroxy-2-methyldecanyl unit was assigned as 22R,23R by J-based configuration analysis and Mosher's method after partial hydrolysis of the morinagadepsin to the linear derivative compound 2. Compound 1 showed cytotoxic activity against the mammalian cell lines KB3.1 and L929, but no antimicrobial activity against the fungi and bacteria tested was observed, while 2 was inactive. Compound 3 was weakly cytotoxic against the cell line L929, but did not show any antimicrobial activity.

Three New Derivatives of Zopfinol from Pseudorhypophila Mangenotii gen. et comb. nov.

Triangularia mangenotti was analyzed for the production of secondary metabolites, resulting in the isolation of known zopfinol (1) and its new derivatives zopfinol B-C (2-4), the 10-membered lactones 7-O-acetylmultiplolide A (5) and 8-O-acetylmultiplolide A (6), together with sordarin (7), sordarin B (8), and hypoxysordarin (9). The absolute configuration of 1 was elucidated by the synthesis of MPTA-esters. Compound 1 showed antimicrobial activity against the Gram-positive bacteria Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus and the fungus Mucor hiemalis. While 4 was weakly antibacterial, 3 showed stronger antibiotic activity against the Gram-positive bacteria and weak antifungal activity against M. hiemalis and Rhodotorula glutinis. We furthermore observed the cytotoxicity of 1, 3 and 4 against the mammalian cell lines KB3.1 and L929. Moreover, the new genus Pseudorhypophila is introduced herein to accommodate Triangularia mangenotii together with several species of Zopfiella-Z. marina, Z. pilifera, and Z. submersa. These taxa formed a well-supported monophyletic clade in the recently introduced family Navicularisporaceae, located far from the type species of the respective original genera, in a phylogram based on the combined dataset sequences of the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS), the nuclear rDNA large subunit (LSU), and fragments of the ribosomal polymerase II subunit 2 (rpb2) and ß-tubulin (tub2) genes. Zopfiella submersa is synonymized with P. marina due to the phylogenetic and morphological similarity. The isolation of zopfinols 1-4 and sordarins 7-9 confirms the potential of this fungal order as producers of bioactive compounds and suggests these compounds as potential chemotaxonomic markers.

Scedosporium spp. from Clinical Setting in Argentina, with the Proposal of the New Pathogenic Species Scedosporium americanum.

Species of the genus Scedosporium (family Microascaceae, phylum Ascomycota) are responsible for a wide range of opportunistic human infections, and have a low susceptibility to most antifungal drugs. It is well known that the pattern of Scedosporium species distribution varies according to geographic region. To assess the diversity of Scedosporium species in Argentina involved in human infections, we carried out a retrospective study reviewing 49 strains from clinical samples sent for diagnosis to the National Clinical Mycology Reference Laboratory between 1985 and 2019. Then, a phenotypic characterization, a phylogenetic study and and in vitro susceptibility test to antifungals were carried out. An analysis of combined nucleotide sequences dataset of the internal transcribed spacer of the ribosomal DNA (ITS) and of a fragment of the ß-tubulin gene (BT2) demonstrated that 92 % of the strains belonged to the species S. boydii, S. apiospermum and S. angustum, all them pertaining to S. apiospermum species complex. However, two strains (4%) were identified as S. aurantiacum, a species never reported in clinical settings in the Americas'. Surprisingly, one of them displayed a polycytella-like conidiogenesis, up to date only reported for S. apiospermum. In addition, the strain DMic 165285 was phylogenetically located far away from the rest of the species, so is proposed as the novel species Scedosporium americanum. On the other hand, from all seven antifungals tested, voriconazole and posaconazole were the most active drugs against Scedosporium spp.

New Xerophilic Species of Penicillium from Soil.

Soil is one of the main reservoirs of fungi. The aim of this study was to study the richness of ascomycetes in a set of soil samples from Mexico and Spain. Fungi were isolated after 2% w/v phenol treatment of samples. In that way, several strains of the genus Penicillium were recovered. A phylogenetic analysis based on internal transcribed spacer (ITS), beta-tubulin (BenA), calmodulin (CaM), and RNA polymerase II subunit 2 gene (rpb2) sequences showed that four of these strains had not been described before. Penicillium melanosporum produces monoverticillate conidiophores and brownish conidia covered by an ornate brown sheath. Penicillium michoacanense and Penicillium siccitolerans produce sclerotia, and their asexual morph is similar to species in the section Aspergilloides (despite all of them pertaining to section Lanata-Divaricata). P. michoacanense differs from P. siccitolerans in having thick-walled peridial cells (thin-walled in P. siccitolerans). Penicillium sexuale differs from Penicillium cryptum in the section Crypta because it does not produce an asexual morph. Its ascostromata have a peridium composed of thick-walled polygonal cells, and its ascospores are broadly lenticular with two equatorial ridges widely separated by a furrow. All four new species are xerophilic. Despite the genus Penicillium containing more than 480 known species, they are rarely reported as xerophilic.

A new pleosporalean fungus isolated from superficial to deep human clinical specimens.

Human infections by pleosporalean fungi (class Dothideomycetes, phylum Ascomycota) are rarely reported. Because their identification is challenging using morphological characterization, several phylogenetic markers must be sequenced for an accurate identification and taxonomical placement of the isolates. Three isolates of clinical origin were phenotypically characterized, but due to the absence of relevant morphological traits, D1-D2 domains of the 28S nrRNA gene (LSU), the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) of the nrRNA, and fragments of the RNA polymerase II subunit 2 (rpb2) and translation elongation factor 1-alpha (tef1) genes were sequenced to allow a phylogenetic analysis that would solve their phylogenetic placement. That analysis revealed that these isolates did not match any previously known pleosporalean genera, and they are proposed here as the new fungal genus, Gambiomyces. Unfortunately, the isolates remained sterile, which, consequently, made the morphological description of the reproductive structures impossible. Future studies should try to understand the behaviour of this fungus in nature as well as its characteristics as an opportunistic fungal pathogen. Molecular identification is becoming an essential tool for proper identification of Dothideomycetes of clinical origin. LAY ABSTRACT: We describe a new pleosporalen pathogenic fungus, Gambiomyces profunda, found in superficial to deep samples from a human patient. Because all strains remained sterile, the fungus was finally identified following a phylogenetic analysis by using four different molecular markers.

Seven New Cytotoxic and Antimicrobial Xanthoquinodins from Jugulospora vestita.

During the course of a screening for novel biologically active secondary metabolites produced by the Sordariomycetes (Ascomycota, Fungi), the ex-type strain of Jugulospora vestita was found to produce seven novel xanthone-anthraquinone heterodimers, xanthoquinodin A11 (1) and xanthoquinodins B10-15 (2-7), together with the already known compound xanthoquinodin B4 (8). The structures of the xanthoquinodins were determined by analysis of the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopic and mass spectrometric data. Moreover, the absolute configurations of these metabolites were established by analysis of the 1H-1H coupling constants, nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy (NOESY) correlations, and Electronic Circular Dichroism (ECD) spectroscopic data. Antifungal and antibacterial activities as well as cytotoxicity of all compounds were tested. Xanthoquinodin B11 showed fungicidal activities against Mucor hiemalis [minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) 2.1 µg/mL], Rhodotorula glutinis (MIC 2.1 µg/mL), and Pichia anomala (MIC 8.3 µg/mL). All the compounds 1-8 displayed anti-Gram-positive bacteria activity (MIC 0.2-8.3 µg/mL). In addition, all these eight compounds showed cytotoxicity against KB 3.1, L929, A549, SK-OV-3, PC-3, A431, and MCF-7 mammalian cell lines. The six novel compounds (1-3, 5-7), together with xanthoquinodin B4, were also found in the screening of other strains belonging to Jugulospora rotula, revealing the potential chemotaxonomic significance of the compound class for the genus.