Westerdykella ornata
Westerdykella ornata Stolk, Trans. Br. mycol. Soc. 38(4): 422 (1955).
Index Fungorum number: IF 307813 Facesoffungi number: FoF 11731, Fig. 1
Description: see Ebead et al. (2012); Stolk (1955).
Material examined: see Ebead et al. (2012); Stolk (1955).
Note: We examined the isotype material of Westerdykella ornata but it was not in good condition. The asci and ascospores could not be found and we provide a drawing to illustrate Westerdykella.
Fig. 1 Westerdykella ornata (K (M): 180655, isotype). a, b Details of herbarium material. c–e Mycelium and ascomata on culture media. f Cross section of ascomata. g, h Fungal mycelium. Scale bar: c, e = 1000 µm, d = 500 µm, f = 100 µm, g, h =10 µm.
Fig. 2 Westerdykella ornata (holotype, re-drawn from Fig. 2 in Stolk 1955). a Polygonal peridial cells. b Ascogenous hyphae with young, stalked asci. c Young and ripe asci. d Ascospores showing irregular spiral bands. e Germinating ascospores. f Different stages in the development of a perithecium. Scale bar = 10 µm.
Importance and distribution
Westerdykella may have promising use as biocontrol agent as there is evidence that they can inhibit the occurrence of clubroot in Chinese Cabbage (Narisawa et al. 1998). Westerdykella has arsenic methyltransferase gene and can metabolize arsenic in the environment and agricultural soil (Verma et al. 2016). They can also reduce mercury concentrations in soil by bioaccumulation (Pietro-Souza et al. 2020). Westerdykella species can produce siderophores and indoleacetic acid (IAA) which are important for host growth in milieus obstructed by heavy metals, as siderophores maintain iron acquisition and chelation of harmful complexes and IAA regulates plant growth and improvement (Pietro-Souza et al. 2017). Cytochalasans from the marine sediment-derived W. dispersa were also reported and they have antibacterial activities. Further studies are needed as they may also produce important enzymes as well as plant growth promoting substances (PGPS) (Srivastava et al. 2012). Westerdykella comprises thirteen species known on Poaceae, Polemoniaceae and Rhodomelaceae. One species Westerdykella globosa has been synonymized and transferred to the genus Preussia. Westerdykella aurantiaca, W. capitulum, W. nigra and W. purpurea were isolated from soil, W. centenaria from laboratory bench in a hospital, W. cylindrica on dung of Bos Bovis, and W. cylindrispora on dung of Capra aegagrus hircus, Westerdykella is reported mainly from Africa (Kenya, Mozambique), Asia (India (Maharashtra, Rajasthan, West Bengal), Japan), Europe (France) and the United States (Iowa, Kentucky). Westerdykella is a diverse genus and more species can be discovered in the future.
References
Ebead G, Overy D, Fabrice B, Kerr R. 2012 – Westerdykella reniformis sp. nov., producing the antibiotic metabolites melinacidin IV and chetracin B. IMA fungus 3, 189–201.
Kruys Å, Wedin M. 2009 – Phylogenetic relationships and an assessment of traditionally used taxonomic characters in the Sporormiaceae (Pleosporales, Dothideomycetes, Ascomycota), utilising multi-gene phylogenies. System Biodiversity 7, 465–478.
Narisawa K, Tokumasu S, Hashiba T. 1998 – Suppression of clubroot formation in Chinese cabbage by the root endophytic fungus, Heteroconium chaetospira. The Plant Pathology Journal 47, 206–210.
Pietro-Souza W, Mello IS, Vendruscullo SJ, da Silva GF et al. 2017 – Endophytic fungal communities of Polygonum acuminatum and Aeschynomene fluminensis are influenced by soil mercury contamination. PLoS One 12, e0182017.
Pietro-Souza W, Pereira F, Mello I, Stachack F et al. 2019 – Mercury resistance and bioremediation mediated by endophytic fungi. Chemosphere 240, 124874.
Srivastava PK, Shenoy BD, Gupta M, Vaish A et al. 2012 – Stimulatory effects of arsenic-tolerant soil fungi on plant growth promotion and soil properties. Microbes and environments 27, 477–482.
Stolk AC. 1955 – Emericellopsis minima sp.nov. and Westerdykella ornata gen. nov., sp. nov. Transactions of the British Mycological Society 38, 419–424.
Verma S, Verma P, Meher A, Dwivedi S et al. 2016 – A novel arsenic methyltransferase gene of Westerdykella aurantiaca isolated from arsenic contaminated soil: phylogenetic, physiological, biochemical studies and its role in arsenic bioremediation. Metallomics 8, 344–353.
Recent News
Recent paper to be publishedRecent Genus
NothocladosporiumPhillipsiella
Curreya
Recent Species
Nothocladosporium syzygiiPhillipsiella atra
Curreya conorum
