Diversity of Rhizophydiales (Chytridiomycota) in Thailand: unveiling the hidden gems of the Kingdom.

Chytrids, often overshadowed by their other fungal counterparts, take center stage as we unravel the mysteries surrounding new species within Rhizophydiales and explore their unique characteristics. In the broader spectrum of chytrids, their significance lies not only in their roles as decomposers but also as key players in nutrient cycling within aquatic ecosystems as parasites and saprobes. Baited soil and aquatic samples collected from various provinces of Thailand, yielded new species of the Rhizophydiales (Chytridiomycota), some of which expanded previously single species genera. Our investigation incorporated a combination of morphological and phylogenetic approaches, enabling us to identify these isolates as distinct taxa. The novel isolates possess distinguishing features, such as variations in size and shape of the sporangium and zoospores, that somewhat differentiate them from described taxa. To confirm the novelty of the species, we employed robust phylogenetic analyses using maximum likelihood and bayesian methods. The results provided strong support for the presence of eight distinct lineages within the Rhizophydiales, representing our newly discovered species. Furthermore, we employed Poisson Tree Processes to infer putative species boundaries and supplement evidence for the establishment of our new Rhizophydiales species. By meticulously exploring their morphological characteristics and genetic makeup, we expand the known catalogue of fungal diversity by describing Alphamyces thailandicus, Angulomyces ubonensis, Gorgonomyces aquaticus, G. chiangraiensis, G. limnicus, Pateramyces pingflumenensis, Terramyces aquatica, and T. flumenensis and also provide valuable insights into the intricacies of this order. This newfound knowledge not only enriches our understanding of Rhizophydiales but also contributes significantly to the broader field of mycology, addressing a critical gap in the documentation of fungal species. The identification and characterization of these eight novel species mark a noteworthy stride towards a more comprehensive comprehension of fungal ecosystems and their vital role.

Collimyces mutans gen. et sp. nov. (Rhizophydiales, Collimycetaceae fam. nov.), a New Chytrid Parasite of Microglena (Volvocales, clade Monadinia).

Chytrids are early diverging lineages of true fungi that reproduce with posteriorly uniflagellate zoospores. In aquatic ecosystems, parasitic chytrids of algae have important ecological roles by influencing the population dynamics of phytoplankton and transferring nutrients and energy from inedible algae to zooplankton via zoospores. Despite their ecological importance, information on parasitic chytrids is lacking in the current systematics of chytrids. Here, we investigated a novel chytrid culture KS100 that parasitizes the green alga, Microglena coccifera (Volvocales). A cross-inoculation experiment revealed that KS100 infection was specific to the genus Microglena. Thallus morphology of KS100 is characterized by spherical or subspherical zoosporangium, which becomes slightly angular during zoospore discharge, 2-3 small and inoperculate pores from where zoospores are discharged, and rhizoids branching at the base that extends in a fan-like shape. This combination of characteristics was distinct from any other known chytrids. In molecular phylogeny, KS100 was placed in the order Rhizophydiales and was distinguished from any known families in the order. Zoospores of KS100 possessed a kinetosome-associated structure whose morphology and positioning were unique among the Rhizophydiales. Based on these results, we describe this chytrid as Collimyces mutans gen. et sp. nov. in the new family Collimycetaceae.

A new genus and family for the misclassified chytrid, Rhizophlyctis harderi.

A chytrid first discovered in Mediterranean sands and called Rhizophlyctis harderi was classified in the genus Rhizophlyctis based on its interbiotic vegetative thalli with multiple rhizoidal axes and resting thalli with tufts of rhizoid-like appendages. Developmental, electron microscopic and molecular analyses, however, have brought into question the proper placement of this chytrid. Because its original description was in German and not Latin, the name R. harderi is not validly published. We found that this chytrid produces three thallus forms that could place it in three different morpho-genera: Rhizophydium, Phlyctochytrium or Rhizophlyctis. The ultrastructural architecture of its zoospore is different from that of zoospores of Rhizophlyctis rosea, the type species for Rhizophlyctis, and shares zoospore ultrastructural characteristics with the Rhizophydiales. Zoospores of this chytrid exhibit a distinctive kinetosome-associated structure (KAS), a curved shield bridged to two of the kinetosomal triplets and a layered cap anterior to the kinetosome. Phylogenetic analyses of nuc rDNA also support the placement of this chytrid in the Rhizophydiales and not in the Rhizophlyctidales. Given its molecularly based phylogenetic placement and its distinctive zoospore architecture, we describe this chytrid in a new genus, Uebelmesseromyces, in the Rhizophydiales and erect Uebelmesseromycetaceae as a new family to accommodate it.

Dinomyces arenysensis gen. et sp. nov. (Rhizophydiales, Dinomycetaceae fam. nov.), a chytrid infecting marine dinoflagellates.

Environmental 18S rRNA gene surveys of microbial eukaryotes have recently revealed the diversity of major parasitic agents in pelagic freshwater systems, consisting primarily of chytrid fungi. To date, only a few studies have reported the presence of chydrids in the marine environment and a limited number of marine chytrids have been properly identified and characterized. Here, we report the isolation and cultivation of a marine chytrid from samples taken during a bloom of the toxic dinoflagellate Alexandrium minutum in the Arenys de Mar harbour (Mediterranean Sea, Spain). Cross-infections using cultures and natural phytoplankton communities revealed that this chytrid is only able to infect certain species of dinoflagellates, with a rather wide host range but with a relative preference for Alexandrium species. Phylogenetic analyses showed that it belongs to the order Rhizophydiales, but cannot be included in any of the existing families within this order. Several ultrastructural characters confirmed the placement of this taxon within the Rhizophydiales as well its novelty notably in terms of zoospore structure. This marine chytridial parasitoid is described as a new genus and species, Dinomyces arenysensis, within the Dinomycetaceae fam. nov.