Darksidea phi, sp. nov., a dark septate root-associated fungus in foundation grasses in North American Great Plains

• DOI: 10.1080/00275514.2022.2031780
• Publication Date: 2022-04-08T18:51:50Z
• Authors: María-José Romero...; Jennifer A. Rudgers; Ari Jumpponen; José Herrera; Miriam Hutchinson; Cheryl Kuske; John Dunbar; Dániel G. Knapp; Gábor M. Kovács; Andrea Porras-Alfaro
• Keywords: Lineage (genetic)

Darksidea is a common genus of dark septate fungi-a group ascomycetes in semiarid regions. A survey reported D. alpha and distinct lineage as abundant root-associated fungi foundational grasses North America. Fungi were isolated, metabarcode data obtained from sequencing fungal communities grass roots the United States. During comprehensive investigation lineage, we carried out polyphasic taxonomy, genomic characterization, identification host associations, geographic distribution, environmental factors that correlate with its abundance. For molecular phylogenetic studies, seven loci sequenced. Isolates had variable colony morphology. No sexual reproductive structures detected, but chlamydospores frequently observed. The complete genome an isolate was sequenced size 52.3 Mb including 14 707 gene models. Based on morphology analysis, propose novel species phi, sp. nov. Metabarcoding showed phi distribution relative abundance not limited to regions or specific species, suggesting low specificity among graminoids. This new expands States beyond prior reports arid