(14) RESEARCH NEWS
even more? coming from environmental sequences. from thechallenges vast amounts ofdata andhowmycologists, robust to be itwill taken be will a drastic change up by other and Mortierellomycota Aphelidiomycota, Calcarisporiellomycota, these are the phylum new names Amongst taxa. higher recognized newly validating descriptions ofnumerous includes the which isprovided, class down used theof names to ranks in all sister tothe superkingdom includes the kingdom (Turland etal Nomenclature for algae, fungi, andplants of phylum in the anindication as ofthe only rank is used the as suffix level “-mycota such ahigh Holomycota some unnamed major The clades. name and the domaingenerally ofzoologists Holomycota Fungi pointscalibration were The kingdom used. andfordatingconstructed, fossil-based Maximum were phylogenies Likelihood with taken at two least from eachphylum. 2). (p. taxonomists forboth andecologists” took are more informative, and“a user-friendly and divergence times sothat the main ranks aims totakewhich account ofmonophyly (Tedersoo proposed has been etal and Mucoromycota,Zoopagomycota, Ascomycota, Blastocladiomycota, recognized: et al.(2018),just phyla eight were of the kingdom In ofthe the classification major overview How manyphylaof Spatafora JW, IV, Grigoriev Aime MC, Martin F, Nuclearida Now Basidiomycota. system anupdated It remains how seen readily such tobe A formal nomenclatural treatment on111 The taxa, study based was Microbiology. Washington for American Society DC: Stukenbrock EV, 3–34. eds): NAR, Gow Kingdom In: phylogenies. genome-scale systematics from molecular tree to oflife: Stajich Blackwellfungal M(2018)The JE, itself is placed within itself asuperkingdom, isplaced , however, isinappropriate at with, along somegroups (Heitman J, Howlett BJ, Crous PW, Cryptomycota, Microsporidia, . 2018).TheHolomycota in in Fungi Fungi International Code of in Fungi in Nucleariae, Chytridiomycota, Nucleariae, andis by Spatafora , and Holozoa. The Fungal Fonticuilda . 2018)
” also also
and Updated phylum-level classification, names in Turland NJ,Greuter Wiersema W, Barrie JH, FR, Tedersoo U, Köljalg S, Sánchez-Ramirez L, clades, andt Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, andplants Hawksworth DL, etal. Hawksworth DL, classificationlevel of the Bahram M, Döring M, etal.(2018)High- Diversity analyses. ecological for evolutionary Fungi he numbers are those ofthe Adapted included. classes from Tedersoo : DOI 10.1007/s13225-018-0401-0. : DOI –eight, eighteen, or Fungi (2018) and a tool andatool International Fungal Fungal red are taxa generally treated in zoology, in treated in zoology, generally are taxa Oberreifenberg: Koeltz Books. Botanical Oberreifenberg: China, July 2017.[Regnum Vegetabile no.159.] International Botanical Congress Shenzhen, Code)(Shenzhen adopted bythe Nineteenth et al. (2018). green IMA FUNGUS are unnamed RESEARCH NEWS (15) sporophores, that that sporophores, Prototaxites ). The asci were found to found ). The were asci et al. (2018). as other members members as other Pezizomycotina Artist’s impression of impression Artist’s can be almost 9 m tall. Artist: Geoffrey Kibby. ) and which are long-lived) and which are as Neolectaceae been have to organisms presumed these are (e.g. Cladoniaceae be a split, opening and to inoperculate, with as interpreted croziers. were what from arise that conclude consequently authors The not an is a basal genus but the ascomycete, ancestor of . Reproduced Honegger from sp., SEM of charcoalified hymenial layer SEMhymenial layer sp., of charcoalified(below); and detail Prototaxites Geoglossaceae, Morchellaceae, Morchellaceae, Geoglossaceae, surface layer was established was as the being layer surface narrowly with of an ascomycete, hymenium cylindrical polyspored amongst asci packed Although paraphyses. vertically orientated there extant, are no similar ascomycetes hymenium the familiesare which have of erect surface outer the formed over (e.g. structures , thin section of hymenium (above); section of hymenium , thin revealed as a basal ascomycete that as a basal ascomycete revealed Prototaxites taiti Prototaxites (side) paraphyses unbranched polysporedshowing asci and narrow with 360–430 Myr) ca.360–430 Myr)
has been has occur from the Silurian to Silurian the from occur et al. 2018). The
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may have been lichenized Prototaxites The massive enigmatic structures referred referred structures enigmatic massive The to Devonian ( Upper the 1 m diam and to 8.8 mcan be than more projectedtall.have thought They to are have cones and must asvertically narrow been a spectacular sight, which several artists impressions to provide endeavoured have 14 species have of. About been recognized, these and ascome from far apart as Middle the Europe, Australia, and North Africa East, North Africa.interpretation Their beenhas a long-standing amongst of debate matter palaeontologists, and been has frustrated elucidation not being surfaces outer the by preserved intact. the from intact surface the Scotland chert in Rhynie beenhas studied thin in a laser-scanning section using confocal microscope and techniques autofluorescence (Honegger thought to bethought fungal, and possibly a basidiomycete, for some years (Selosse of the evidence 2002), but reproductive of the nature been has lacking,structures biologyand its’ remained has Now obscure. particularly of P.some material t a i t i VOLUME 9 · NO. 1 (16) RESEARCH NEWS
Tests with mutated strains ofthe that describes this work 2018). (Casadevall itemnews in the sameissue ofthe journal the process iswell-illustratedconidia; in a neutrophil that cells the cantarget invading thatof cytokine canattract andstimulate some other triggering the production fungi, inofA.fumigatusmelanin the conidia and receptor (MelLec) that tothe reacted discovered amelanin-recognizing They andinitiate animmuneorganism response. receptors torespond to aninvading lectin what trigered mammalian C-type question. Stappers six countries onthis light new has now shed by ateamof33researches scattered through others has remained obscure. Elegant work being more resistantin somepeople than but results the which mechanism precise involved in 2014), recent years(Bignell and the nature ofimmune responses our understanding processes ofthe disease practitioners. by generalist misdiagnosed overlooked infections canbe or fungal into internal as many 100000s,especially around the world isunknown, but run could growths. The numberinfected people of invasivebecome andeven form substantial wherelungs, canestablish they mycelia and into the smallest recesses ofthe anddeepest thatdiam) canpenetrate they when inhaled surgery. are so Theconidia ( small including those whohave had transplant those with suppressed immune systems, and sometimes particularly in fatal disease, fumigatus,Aspergillus isamajor and in humans,Aspergillosis caused by Immunity to occurrence of algae or cyanobacteria in orcyanobacteria theoccurrence ofalgae nomicroscopicWhile evidence forthe toform aerial suchstructures. huge energy thereas noadvantage in wouldbe investing structuressuch large ofasaprotroph wouldbe It intriguing. especially seems unlikely that like structures. Thequestion of nutrition is may have somekind been ofanchoring root- there have speculations been that also there toshowsome are growth-rings; reported however, appeartohave robust and been nutrients The stromata needed. they do, their integrity, the andhow obtained they the massive Prototaxites are, however, rather striking. Similarities tothe diminutive genus of the subphylum were contemporaneous. There have been enormous advances in Two major uncertainties remain: how et al.(2018)investigated structures retained Aspergillus ca. 2μm Aspergillus fumigatus Neolecta
reactions to a wide range of melanized fungi. reactions ofmelanized to awiderange in understanding andaddressing human may therefore the be era start ofanew and phaeophyphomycoses. This result in chromatoblastomycosis, mycetomas, those such as involved walls, melanized human immunity toother with fungi may havegene also animportant role in incidence ofthis disease. help the could reduce this SNP carrying Consequently, donors organ identifying with compared controls.conidia by A.fumigatuschallenged less immune response when asignificantly produced SNP from healthy patients with the Further, macrophages isolated stem-cell transplant recipients. in and the risk ofaspergillosis this SNP association between in There mice. asignificant was from that (SNP) polymorphism differs in asingle nucleotide but detected, has been MelLec occurred in humans, where the situation ifaparallel to ascertain with controls. wild-type Aspergillus to susceptibility in increased lacked substantially this gene by corticosteroids, those that weremice immunosuppressed with However, mice. when knocked-out in experiments initiated when were these genes thatrevealed responses were not Rhynie plants chert in addition tothat on papers with concerning the associated fungi (Edwards etal in ofLondon March Society 2017 Royal discussion meeting heldin the rooms ofthe papers onthe Rhynie Chert arising from a study forms of16 oneofacollection [This structures. remains orcyanobacterial within the for algal step isforthere search amore concerted tobe Perhapsof obtainingsugars. required the next photosynthetic partners isanoptimal means depending onincluded excluded –indeed, that sothe possibility not have preserved, been that these donotreadily fossilize andmay just structures itiswell-known obtained, has been The authors speculate that the MelLec groupThe then proceeded Prototaxites conidia compared . 2018).It includes three was lichenized cannot be cannot was lichenized be Aspergillus fumigatusAspergillus infections Aspergillus fumigatus E(2014)Aspergillus Bignell Stappers MHT, Aimanianda V, Clark AE, Bidula Casadevall A (2018) Melanin triggers antifungal A(2018)Melanin antifungal triggers Casadevall interested in palaeomycology.] in interested Prototaxites Selosse MA (2002)Prototaxites MA Selosse Edwards Strullu-Derrien D, Axe R, L, Honegger KenrickEdwards D, L, Dolan (2018)The P(eds) in this report. used to be Kibby acopyhis painting allowed of kindly Geoffrey (photo: Rob Samson). Rob (photo: Fungal Pathogens (Kurzai 19–43.2 O, ed.): In:to pathogen. 555: 382–386. forimmunity to required lectin receptor is DHN-melanin by aC-type of etal.(2018)Recognition DM, Reid S, defences. Springer. Berlin: edn. Mycological Research asaprophyticfossil, basidiomycete, oralichen. ofLondon,B Royal Society lacking croziers. ascomycete with inoperculate, asci polysporous (2018)FertileCS Prototaxites taiti ofLondon,B Society Philosophicalrevisited. Transactions ofthe Royal ourRhynie earliest cherts: terrestrial ecosystem , so should be consulted by all by consulted all be , soshould Nature 555:319–320. The Mycota . Vol. XII. Philosophical Transactions ofthe 106:641–644. 373: issue 1739. Aspergillus 373: 20170146. , a400Myr oldgiant IMA FUNGUS : saprotroph : a basal : abasal . Nature Human nd