Sporocadaceae revisited.

Area of Science:

• Mycology
• Fungal Taxonomy
• Plant Pathology

Background:

• The fungal family Sporocadaceae is diverse, encompassing plant pathogens, endophytes, saprobes, and animal/human parasites.
• Previous taxonomic revisions used a polyphasic approach, but significant gaps in species diversity and host associations remain.
• Commonly used genetic markers offer limited resolution for species delimitation within Sporocadaceae, particularly for the genera Neopestalotiopsis and Pestalotiopsis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the diversity and host associations of the fungal family Sporocadaceae.
• To revise the taxonomy of Sporocadaceae using morphological and multi-locus phylogenetic analyses.
• To establish a phylogenomic project to improve species delimitation and facilitate evolutionary and metabolite research.

Main Methods:

• Morphological comparisons of 488 fungal strains.
• Multi-locus phylogenetic analyses using LSU, ITS, tef-1α, tub2, and rpb2 gene sequences.
• Phylogenomic analysis initiated to address limitations of traditional markers.

Main Results:

• Identification of 86 species within Sporocadaceae, including one new genus (Cavernicola) and seven known genera.
• Description of 43 new species and three new combinations.
• Correction of seven problematic type sequences and synonymization of three species.
• Pestalotiopsis and Neopestalotiopsis identified as the most prevalent genera, associated with numerous plant species.

Conclusions:

• The study significantly expands the known diversity of Sporocadaceae, providing a revised taxonomic framework.
• The findings highlight the need for advanced methods like phylogenomics for accurate species delimitation in this family.
• This research provides a crucial foundation for understanding Sporocadaceae evolution, host interactions, and potential applications.