Phaeothecales » Phaeothecaceae » Phaeotheca

Phaeotheca fissurella

Phaeotheca fissurella Sigler, Tsuneda & J.W. Carmich., Mycotaxon 12(2): 450 (1981).

Index Fungorum number: IF 112542; Facesoffungi number: FoF 11422, Fig. 1, 2

Description: see Crous et al. (2018).

Material examined: see Crous et al. (2018).

Fig. 1 Phaeotheca fissurella (CBS 520.89, holotype, re-drawn from Fig. 1 Zalar et al. 1999). a Hyphae releasing endoconidia. b Meristematic development. c Young endoconidia. d Mother cells liberating endoconidia. Scale bars = 10 μm.

Fig. 2 Phaeotheca triangularis (CBS 471.90, holotype, re-drawn from Fig. 1 in de Hoog et al. 1997). a Young hyphal element. b Hypha with meristematic conversion. c Liberated meristematic clump of cells. d Endoconidia in various stages of meristematic conversion. Scale bar = 10 μm.

Importance and distribution

Species of Phaeotheca are pathogenic and cause various crop disease. Some members are saprobic on twig to cone litter (Crous et al. 2018). Some species are black meristematic yeast-like such as P. triangularis (de Hoog 1997). Phaeotheca comprises five species. Phaeotheca dimorphospora is known from Ulmus americana (Ulmaceae) in Canada (Québec). Phaeotheca fissurella has been reported from Cronartium coleosporioides canker on Pinus contorta (Pinaceae) in North America (Canada (Alberta)), P. salicorniae is known on leaves and twigs of Salicornia meyeriana (Amaranthaceae) in Africa (Western Cape Province), P. shathenatiana was found on twig and litter in The United States (Alaska) and P. triangularis was isolated from humidifier of air-conditioning system in Europe (Belgium).

Industrial relevance and applications

Phaeotheca is useful to the agricultural industry because several species show biocontrol properties against other fungal pathogens. For example, P. dimorphospora has antagonistic activity against Septoria musiva, Gremmeniella abietina var. abietina and several other tree pathogens and can reduce the size of necrotic lesions (Yang et al. 1994). Phaeotheca dimorphospora has antifungal and antagonistic activity against the Dutch elm disease pathogen Ophiostoma ulmi (Yang et al. 1993) and is an effective biological control of Septoria leaf of poplar (Yang et al. 1994).

Biochemical importance of the genus, chemical diversity or applications

Phaeotheca dimorphospora produces several antifungal compounds and other chemicals such as 1,8-dihydroxynaphthalene, melanin amongst others (Kogej et al. 2004).

References

Crous PW, Luangsa-Ard JJ, Wingfield MJ, Carnegie AJ et al. 2018 – Fungal Planet description sheets: 785–867. Persoonia 41, 238–417.

Crous PW, Wingfield MJ, Richardson DM, Le Roux JJ et al. 2016 – Fungal Planet description sheets: 400–468. Persoonia 36, 316–458.

de Hoog GS, Beguin H, Batenburg-van de Vegte WH. 1997 – Phaeotheca triangularis, a new meristematic black yeast from a humidifier. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 71, 289–295.

Kogej T, Wheeler M, Lanisnik Rizner T, Gunde-cimerman N. 2004 – Evidence for 1,8-dihydroxynaphthalene melanin in three halophilic black yeasts grown under saline and non-saline conditions. FEMS microbiology letters 232, 203–209.

Ramaley AW. 1996 – Comminutispora gen. nov and its Hyphosphora gen. nov. anamorph. Mycologia 88, 132–136.

Seifert KA, Morgan-Jones G, Gams W, Kendrick B. 2011 – The Genera of Hyphomycetes. Biodiversity Series, 9, Utrecht. CBS-KNAW Fungal Biodiversity Centre.

Yang D, Bernier L, Dessureault M. 1994 – Biological control of Septoria leaf spot of poplar by Phaeotheca dimorphospora. Plant Disease 78, 821–825.

Yang D, Laflamme G, Bernier L, Dessureault M. 1995 – Phaeotheca dimorphospora as a potential biocontrol agent for shoot blight caused by Gremmeniella abietina. Canadian Journal of Plant Pathology 17, 7–12.

Yang D, Plante F, Bernier L, Piche Y et al. 1993 – Evaluation of a fungal antagonist, Phaeotheca dimorphospora, for biological control of tree diseases. Canadian Journal of Botany 71, 426–433.

Zalar P, de Hoog GS, Gunde-Cimerman N. 1999 – Taxonomy of the endoconidial black yeast genera Phaeotheca. Studies in Mycology 43, 38–48.