Evolution of helotialean fungi (Leotiomycetes, Pezizomycotina): a nuclear rDNA phylogeny
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 7, 2026

Using Phylogenetic Analysis to Investigate Eukaryotic Gene Origin
Published on: August 14, 2018
Zheng Wang1, Manfred Binder, Conrad L Schoch
1Department of Biology, Clark University, 950 Main Street, Worcester, MA 01610, USA. zhengwangff@yahoo.com
Abstract:
The highly divergent characters of morphology, ecology, and biology in the Helotiales make it one of the most problematic groups in traditional classification and molecular phylogeny. Sequences of three rDNA regions, SSU, LSU, and 5.8S rDNA, were generated for 50 helotialean fungi, representing 11 out of 13 families in the current classification. Data sets with different compositions were assembled, and parsimony and Bayesian analyses were performed. The phylogenetic distribution of lifestyle and ecological factors was assessed. Plant endophytism is distributed across multiple clades in the Leotiomycetes. Our results suggest that (1) the inclusion of LSU rDNA and a wider taxon sampling greatly improves resolution of the Helotiales phylogeny, however, the usefulness of rDNA in resolving the deep relationships within the Leotiomycetes is limited; (2) a new class Geoglossomycetes, including Geoglossum, Trichoglossum, and Sarcoleotia, is the basal lineage of the Leotiomyceta; (3) the Leotiomycetes, including the Helotiales, Erysiphales, Cyttariales, Rhytismatales, and Myxotrichaceae, is monophyletic; and (4) nine clades can be recognized within the Helotiales.
More Related Videos
06:58Isolation, Behavioral Identification, and Pathogenicity Assessment of Entomopathogenic Fungi from a Forest Wood Borer
Published on: September 29, 2023
10:23A Concoction Pipeline for Generating Molecular Operational Taxonomic Units (MOTUs) Among Riparian and Aquatic Beetles
Published on: July 11, 2025
Related Concept Videos
Microbial Phylogeny
Gene Evolution - Fast or Slow?
In contrast, regions which code...
Gene Evolution - Fast or Slow?
In contrast, regions which code...
Evolutionary Relationships through Genome Comparisons
Evolution of Microbial Genome
Phylogeny