Phylogenetic analysis of ten black yeast species using nuclear small subunit rRNA gene sequences

The nuclear small subunit rRNA genes of authentic strains of the black yeasts Exophiala dermatitidis, Wangiella dermatitidis, Sarcinomyces phaemuriformis, Capronia mansonii, Nadsoniella nigra var. hesuelica, Phaeoannellomyces elegans, Phaeococcomyces exophialae, Exophiala jeanselmei var. jeanselmei and E. castellanii were amplified by PCR and directly sequenced. A putative secondary structure of the nuclear small subunit rRNA of Exophiala dermatitidis was predicted from the sequence data. Alignment with corresponding sequences from Neurospora crassa and Aureobasidium pullulans was performed and a phylogenetic tree was constructed using the neighbor-joining method. The obtained topology of the tree was confirmed by bootstrap analysis. Based upon this analysis all fungi studied formed a well-supported monophyletic group clustering as a sister group to one group of the Plectomycetes (Trichocomaceae and Onygenales). The analysis confirmed the close relationship postulated between Exophiala dermatitidis, Wangiella dermatitidis and Sarcinomyces phaeomuriformis. This monophyletic clade also contains the telemorph species Capronia mansonii thus confirming the concept of a teleomorph connection of the genus Exophiala to a member of the herpotrichiellaceae. However, Exophiala castellanii did not belong to this clade. Therefore, this species is not the anamorph of Capronia mansonii as it was postulated.