Potebniamyces pyri (anamorph Phacidiopycnis piri) is the causal agent of Phacidiopycnis rot of apples and pears. The disease has recently been recognized in pears in the USA. Little information on the basic biology of the fungus is available. In this paper, we report the effects of culture media, temperature, water potential and pH on mycelial growth, and the effects of media and light on pycnidia production. Prune juice agar was the best for rapid mycelial growth. Pear juice agar, apple juice agar, potato dextrose agar, and oatmeal agar (OMA) also favoured mycelial growth. Czapek-Dox agar was not suitable for mycelial growth. The fungus was able to grow at temperatures from −3 to 25 °C. Optimal mycelial growth occurred between 15 and 20 °. The average radial growth rate on OMA was 3.9 mm d−1 at 15 ° and 4.4 mm d−1 at 20 °. Mycelial growth was not observed after 10 d at 30 °, but growth resumed at 20 °. The fungus failed to resume growth at 20 ° after being incubated for 10 d at 35 °. The fungus was able to grow at water potentials as low as −4 MPa but no growth took place at −7.3 MPa. Active mycelial growth was observed on OMA at pH between 3.2 and 6.1. Optimal growth was observed at pH around 4 and no growth was observed at pH 7.1. No pycnidia or very few formed on the nine media at 20 ° in the dark. Fluorescent light significantly stimulated formation of pycnidia. OMA was the best medium for production of pycnidia and macroconidia. Pycnidia that formed on 8-wk-old OMA cultures incubated at 20 ° under 12 h dark/12 h light produced abundant macroconidia and the technique is recommended for inoculum production of conidia for research.

Chlorinated anisyl metabolites (CAM) were detected in ethyl acetate extracts from the culture medium of species of seven basidiomycete genera including, for the first time, Mycena, Peniophora, Phellinus and Phylloporia. Extension of CAM biosynthesis in Bjerkandera (B. fumosa), Hypholoma (H. elongatum) and Pholiota (P. adiposa) is a new finding. The selective and high-yield production of 3,5-dichloro-p-anisyl alcohol by H. elongatum is remarkable.

A taxonomic and chorologic study of Protophysarum phloiogenum, including light and SEM micrographs is presented. The authors propose the new family Protophysaraceae in the Physarales.

A new genus of freshwater ascomycetes, Cataractisopora, with three new species: C. aquatica, C. appendiculata and C. viscosa, are described. These fungi occur on decaying wood and possess similar characteristics including coriaceous globose ascomata, wide septate paraphyses, cylindrical asci with a relatively massive refractive apical ring and ascospores with polar chambers and filamentous appendages. Appendage material accumulates within the polar chambers and, on release from the ascus, the ascospore appendage unfurls to form long threads. The appendage material is fibrillar at the ultrastructural level, and is derived from episporial projections at the ascospore tip. Although these three fungi are similar to species of Annulatascus, they are assigned to a new genus – Cataractispora based on their unique appendage ontogeny. Annulatascus bipolaris is also assigned to Cataractispora on the basis of its ascospore appendage ontogeny.

Lu et al. (2002) described a method for identifying Hericium species by PCR, using the primers HT-U1 and HT-L1 which they specifically designed for this purpose. In our hands these primers do not appear to discriminate between tooth fungi and other wood decay species. Therefore PCR primers were designed that discriminated Creolophus cirrhatus from other species (HER2F/HER3R), and which discriminate Hericium alpestre, H. coralloides and H. erinaceus from other wood decay Ascomycota and Basidiomycota but not from each other (HER2F/HER2R). Using the HER2F/HER3R primers together with traditional isolation and direct incubation procedures, the location of C. cirrhatus in Turkey oak logs was mapped. The PCR approach often detected C. cirrhatus in locations where it was suspected to be, based on patterns of staining and decay, but where it was not revealed by isolation onto agar media, emphasising the value of adopting several approaches to unravel fungal community structure in wood.

The strain Trametes sp. I-62 (CECT 20197) is a white-rot fungus with great potential for biotechnological applications in the fields of industrial waste water decolorization and clean up. Three laccase genes: lcc1, lcc2 and lcc3 have been cloned and sequenced from this basidiomycete. In this work, the coding regions of the corresponding cDNAs have been synthesized, cloned, and sequenced. They are 1563, 1563 and 1575 bp in length, respectively. Former putative intron/exon structures from genomic DNA are fully confirmed by match analysis with our cDNA sequences. Using Polymerase Chain Reaction – Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (PCR–RFLP) analysis, an additional laccase cDNA was also identified, corresponding to a new gene, lcc1A, which displayed 99.6% identity with lcc1 at protein level. Such high similarity between lcc1 and lcc1A sequences, and the comparison with reports from other basidiomycete laccases, suggest that in this strain these two genes are allelic variants.

Genetic variation was found between isolates of Botrytis elliptica from the USA and Taiwan based on 22 polymorphic markers from five RAPD primers. Among these 69 isolates, there were 43 different genotypes. One clonal genotype was found spanning Oregon and Washington, USA, and in a population from Hsinshe, Taiwan, clonal genotypes were frequent, demonstrating the importance of asexual spread of this pathogen. However, when only unique genotypes were considered, gametic disequilibrium among putative RAPD loci of the genotypes from Taiwan (33) or Hsinshe (23) was not detected, suggesting an underlying sexual recombination system for this population of B. elliptica. A weak level of cultivar specialization was detected among B. elliptica isolates from the Hsinshe population based on analysis of genetic distances between isolates.

The phytopathogen Rhynchosporium alismatis, occurring on Alisma, Sagittaria and other genera in the Alismataceae, is under investigation as a mycoherbicide for alismataceous weeds in Australian rice crops. The type species of Rhynchosporium, R. secalis, belongs in the Helotiales while the phylogenetic relationships of R. alismatis were unknown. To identify fungi related to R. alismatis, the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of the ribosomal DNA (ITS1, 5.8S rRNA gene, ITS2) of 56 isolates was sequenced and compared to those available in databases. Analysis of ITS sequences revealed close relationships between R. alismatis and the teleomorph genus Plectosphaerella, as well as several anamorphic fungi which were primarily species of Verticillium. Rhynchosporium alismatis and Plectosphaerella cucumerina clustered together with 98% bootstrap support. Morphological comparisons supported this relationship indicating that R. alismatis and the anamorphic genus Plectosporium are congeneric. Rhynchosporium alismatis is transferred to Plectosporium, a name proposed for conservation.

A fluorometric-based method for the kinetic measurement of conidia growth of Botrytis cinerea in liquid culture is described. The method involves an oxido-reduction dye, Alamar blue, as an indicator of growth. The effect of nystatin, a non-specific antifungal agent, was studied on conidial germination. An excellent correlation was found between the IC50 obtained by the fluorometric method, and by microscopic measurement. The method is rapid and quantitative, and requires only a small amount of chemicals and fungal material. Since the measurements were performed in a 96-well plate, it is possible to test many different parameters in parallel.

Nine isolates of a Colletotrichum sp. collected in North America on yellow water-lily (Nuphar luteum subsp. polysepalum) at five locations in the Pacific Northwest (PNW) and one isolate from Nymphaea odorata in Rhode Island were compared to three isolates of C. nymphaeae occurring on Nymphaea alba and Nuphar luteum in Europe. The appressoria of all North American isolates were significantly wider than those of C. nymphaeae. Conidia of the nine PNW isolates were significantly wider than those of both the Rhode Island isolate and C. nymphaeae isolates. All isolates were compared using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and restriction fragment length polymorphism of the ITS region (RFLP-ITS). Two distinct clusters were differentiated in the dendrogram based on the RAPD analysis. The ten North American isolates formed one cluster and the European isolates of C. nymphaeae formed a second cluster. The separation of the North American isolates from the European isolates was supported by distinct restriction digest phenotypes of the ITS region. Based on morphological and molecular characterization the North American fungus is proposed as a new species, C. nupharicola.

Specimens of Daldinia (Xylariaceae) from around the world possessing large ascospores were studied for teleomorphic and anamorphic morphological characters and compared with authentic material of D. grandis. A culture made from a specimen of D. grandis collected from Ecuador produced stromatic structures, but no conidiogenous structures referable to known xylariaceous anamorphs were observed. D. grandis is reconsidered and viewed as a species of warmer climates in the Americas. Three new species are recognised from new combinations of anamorphic and teleomorphic characters: (1) D. novaezelandiae sp. nov. from New Zealand, a fungus obviously related to D. bakeri, which is also reported from that country; (2) D. dennisii sp. nov., from Australia and New Zealand, of which two varieties are erected; and (3) D. loculatoides sp. nov., from the UK and Canada with affinities to D. loculata. The type of Sphaeria durissima was identified as D. loculata. Notes on further Daldinia spp. are included.

Phylogenetic analyses of nucleotide data from the ITS and 5.8S rDNA gene region were performed on 37 strains of Onygenales representing all the accepted species of Auxarthron (9 strains), several species of Amauroascus (16 strains), and morphologically similar genera (3 strains of Amaurascopsis, 1 of Apinisia, 1 of Shanorella, 1 of Mallochia, 2 of Nannizziopsis, 1 of Pectinotrichum, and 3 of Uncinocarpus). The inferred phylogeny provided strong support for the monophyly of Auxarthron. We propose the new combinations Auxarthron kuehnii and A. pseudoreticulatum combs nov. and provide a key to the accepted species of Auxarthron. Although this study demonstrated that Amauroascus is polyphyletic, relationships among the members of that genus could not be resolved in phylogenies inferred from the analyses of ITS sequences; the new combination A. queenslandicus comb. nov. is also proposed. Molecular data suggested that Amaurascopsis reticulatus, characterised by the absence of discrete ascomata and prominently echinulate ascospores, can be accomodated in Mallochia.

A series of comparative physiological and morphological analyses are described for eighteen Dendryphiella isolates. Conidial characteristics of ten isolates showed relatively little variation as a result of different incubation conditions. Isolates were markedly tolerant to NaCl and KCl, although some variation between isolates was noted. A variety of nitrogen compounds could be utilized by most isolates although some grew poorly with certain nitrogen sources. Most isolates showed a wide pH growth range, particularly at alkaline values, and broad temperature growth profiles. The relevance of these physiological characteristics to the survival and fitness of Dendryphiella species in the marine environment is discussed.

Basidiomes of Amanita alboverrucosa, A. ochrophylla, and A. pyramidifera were collected from native mixed sclerophyll forest sites and of A. conicoverrucosa and A. punctata from planted stands of Eucalyptus maculata in New South Wales, Australia. DNA was extracted from stipe tissue and subjected to inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) PCR analysis conducted using the primers (GTG)5 and (GACA)4 in order to determine genotype distribution at each site. Two to nine genotypes of one of the species were identified at each field site. Genotypes of A. ochrophylla, A. conicoverrucosa and A. punctata were spread over areas of ca 10–60 m diam, suggesting vegetative spread via large below-ground mycelial genets. In contrast, genotypes of A. alboverrucosa were more spatially restricted, suggesting recent establishment via basidiospores and more limited below-ground vegetative spread. Two groups of A. pyramidifera basidiomes that were separated by ca 600 m were found to be of the same genotype. While this might reflect long distance spread of below-ground mycelium in this taxon, the proximity of the basidiomes to a roadway makes movement of vegetative basidiome tissue via vehicular activity and subsequent establishment equally plausible.

Six species of the genus Polyporus s. str. from which monosporic cultures were obtained, were studied to investigate their sexual compatibility. All species tested have an heterothallic multifactorial tetrapolar system. Results of intraspecific matings indicated a certain reproductive isolation of the Argentine and Brazilian collections of P. tenuiculus. Interspecific matings confirmed the separation of the species P. ciliatus and P. tucumanensis, as well as P. dictyopus and P. melanopus. Di-mon matings allowed the separation of P. tenuiculus from P. philippinensis.

We determined the occurrence of birth rust fungus (Melampsoridium betulinum) within mature mountain birch (Betula pubescens var. czerepanovii) trees and compared the airborne urediniospore concentrations with overall rust infection levels over five successive years. Fifteen groups of three trees 3–5 m high were chosen from a homogenous mountain birch stand. Each group contained a tree with ‘low’, ‘moderate’ and ‘high’ infection covering the natural range of infection levels. The difference in rust classes remained constant throughout the study; trees in class ‘high’ consistently had always highest infection levels and trees in class ‘low’ always the lowest infection levels. Infection levels remained constant between years in ‘low’ class, while the infection levels varied significantly between years in ‘moderate’ and ‘high’ classes. The incidence of disease caused by M. betulinum varied from year to year and was correlated with the total airborne urediniospore counts. The data indicate that trees differ in resistance to birch rust and that infection levels of susceptible compared to resistant trees are more dependent on environmental conditions.

Cerato-ulmin (CU) presence was monitored on cell surface and quantitatively determined in mycelial extracts of the elm pathogens Ophiostoma novo-ulmi (races EAN and NAN) and O. ulmi and of the non-pathogenic O. piceae. CU was detected on the surfaces of Ophiostoma novo-ulmi (races EAN and NAN) and, for the first time, of the weak Dutch elm disease pathogen O. ulmi and the non-pathogen O. piceae. Quantitative determination of CU content in the mycelial extracts of the three species showed that high CU cellular content is associated with high CU content in culture filtrates. The content of CU in biomasses and in culture filtrates was influenced by temperature, growth phase and fungal species or race. CU synthesis occurred during the stationary phase and in the late logarithmic phase when fungi were grown at 23° and 32°C, respectively. High temperatures of growth (32°) did not have a negative effect on the cellular CU content but severely hampered CU secretion in high CU-producers O. novo-ulmi isolates.

To determine the feasibility of using internal transcribed spacers (ITS1 and ITS2) and 5.8S ribosomal DNA sequences as genetic markers in molecular systematic and phylogenetic studies of Ophiostoma, the presence of multiple types of ITS in the two sibling sapstain fungi, Ophiostoma piceae and O. quercus were examined in 22 isolates from diverse geographic regions. PCR and sequence analysis revealed that two different versions of ITS sequences were present in the PCR-products amplified with the ITS primers, ITS1-ITS4 or ITS5-ITS4 or ITS1-F-ITS4, in every isolate of the two Ophiostoma species tested. Surprisingly, the two ITS sequences were shared by both species. One ITS sequence which was major in O. piceae was designated as the OPC type, and the other ITS sequence which was minor in O. piceae was designated as the OPH type. In O. quercus the OPH type was major and the OPC type was minor. The major ITS comprised more than 99% of the amplicons in both species. The results suggest that common ITS gene pools have been maintained at different levels within these sibling species.

Penicillium verrucosum is one of the main producers of ochratoxin A (OA) in agricultural commodities. To forecast the risk of OA contamination, there is a need to improve our knowledge on the ecology of P. verrucosum in the field. Dilution plating on ‘dichloran yeast extract sucrose 18% glycerol agar’ (DYSG) offers a simple and very sensitive method of detecting P. verrucosum propagules in soil. The properties of DYSG are illustrated in a suspension mixture experiment and confirmed in a soil mixture experiment. In the latter, P. verrucosum could be detected in conidial concentrations below 200 colony forming units (cfu) g−1 soil even when it constituted no more than 0·3% of the cfu. Furthermore, the DYSG method can be used to estimate the abundance of P. verrucosum propagules in soil with good precision. In some of the analysed cases, however, it was necessary to use appropriate mathematical models to treat results with high numbers of cfu on the Petri dishes.

The geographical distribution and ecological habitats of the Pleurotus eryngii complex in Israel are described from a study of 60 genotypes from 10 populations. Both MEA and PDA media were suitable for growth of all genotypes at all temperatures tested (4–37 °C). There was a high correlation between a coefficient of growth and the mean colony diameter growth rate. All genotypes reached the maximum growth at 27°. Growth rate at 30° was greater than at 19°. We found highly significant (P < 0.0001) variability among growth rates of Israeli genotypes, indicating ecogeographical differences among populations. The growth rate of 12 European genotypes from the Ukraine and Slovakia was higher than most of the Israeli genotypes when grown at 27° (non-stress conditions), but Israeli genotypes tolerated 37° (stress conditions) better, and recovered faster than European populations when returned to 27°. We conclude that Israeli genotypes are better adapted to hot and dry climates than European genotypes. Based on multiple regression analyses, strong correlations were found between relative humidity and rainfall parameters, but not temperature, of the locations from which Israeli isolates were collected, and their growth rates. This indicates that, paradoxically, relative humidity and rainfall have a stronger effect than temperature on the adaptability of this complex to different environments.