New species in Aspergillus section Terrei

Area of Science:

• Mycology
• Fungal Taxonomy
• Phylogenetics

Background:

• Aspergillus section Terrei encompasses numerous fungal species with diverse secondary metabolite profiles.
• Previous classifications of A. terreus and its relatives have been based on limited data, leading to taxonomic ambiguity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To delineate new species within Aspergillus section Terrei.
• To clarify the phylogenetic relationships among A. terreus and its allied species.
• To characterize the secondary metabolite production of species in section Terrei.

Main Methods:

• Polyphasic approach combining DNA sequencing (β-tubulin, calmodulin, ITS regions) and morphological analyses.
• Phylogenetic analyses to reconstruct evolutionary relationships.
• Extrolite profiling to identify secondary metabolites.

Main Results:

• Seven distinct lineages were identified within the A. terreus complex, leading to the description of new species like Aspergillus pseudoterreus and the reclassification of others.
• Aspergillus hortai was recognized at the species level.
• Species formerly in sections Flavipedes and Versicolores were found to belong to section Terrei.
• Diverse secondary metabolites were identified, including mevinolin, citrinin, citreoviridin, and territrems, with specific distributions among the studied species.

Conclusions:

• The study establishes a more robust taxonomic framework for Aspergillus section Terrei based on comprehensive data.
• New species and reclassifications improve our understanding of fungal diversity and evolution.
• The identified secondary metabolites have implications for potential biotechnological applications and understanding fungal toxicology.