Molecular and ultrastructural characterization of two ascomycetes found on sunken wood off Vanuatu islands in the deep Pacific ocean

Mycol Res. 2009 Dec;113(Pt 12):1351-64. doi: 10.1016/j.mycres.2009.08.015. Epub 2009 Sep 6.

Abstract

A new genus of a deep-sea ascomycete with one new species, Alisea longicolla, is described based on analyses of 18S and 28S rDNA sequences and morphological characters. A. longicolla was found together with Oceanitis scuticella, on small twigs and sugar cane debris trawled from the bottom of the Pacific Ocean off Vanuatu Islands. Molecular and morphological characters indicate that both fungi are members of Halosphaeriaceae. Within this family, O. scuticella is phylogenetically related to Ascosalsum and shares similar ascospore morphology and appendage ontogeny. The genus Ascosalsum is considered congeneric with Oceanitis and Ascosalsum cincinnatulum, Ascosalsum unicaudatum and Ascosalsum viscidulum are transferred to Oceanitis, an earlier generic name.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Ascomycota / classification*
  • Ascomycota / genetics
  • Ascomycota / ultrastructure
  • Biological Evolution
  • Ecosystem
  • Fresh Water / microbiology
  • Genetic Variation
  • Geography
  • Microscopy, Electron, Scanning
  • Microscopy, Electron, Transmission
  • Pacific Ocean
  • Phylogeny
  • RNA, Ribosomal, 18S / genetics
  • Seawater
  • Species Specificity
  • Spores, Fungal / ultrastructure
  • Vanuatu
  • Wood / microbiology*

Substances

  • RNA, Ribosomal, 18S