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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Peoria, Illinois » National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research » Mycotoxin Prevention and Applied Microbiology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #295383

Title: Talaromcyes columbinus sp. nov., and genealogical concordance analysis in Talaromcyes clade 2a

Author
item Peterson, Stephen
item JURJEVIC, ZELJKO - Emsl Analytical, Inc

Submitted to: PLOS ONE
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/9/2013
Publication Date: 10/30/2013
Citation: Peterson, S.W., Jurjevic, Z. 2013. Talaromcyes columbinus sp. nov., and genealogical concordance analysis in Talaromcyes clade 2a. PLoS One. 8(10):e78084.

Interpretive Summary: Many molds from the group Talaromyces are found growing on corn and corn products, either decaying the corn, living symbiotically with the corn, or producing poisonous compounds. A taxonomic examination of part of the group revealed a previously unknown species. We used DNA based analysis to prove the existence of the species and to learn its genealogy. We also introduced key features useful to identify this and other closely related molds. By querying international databanks with our DNA sequences, we learned that the newly described species has been the cause of rare human lung infections in the past. The new mold appears to primarily be one of the decay species on corn products. This information will be of interest to plant pathologists, corn breeders, the medical community, biodiversity studies, and academic mycologists.

Technical Abstract: During the course of mold surveys, a set of Talaromyces isolates were obtained that did not fit any described species. Phenotypic examination of these isolates showed that they were very similar to T. piceus but differed in some growth characteristics. Multilocus DNA sequence data was obtained for the new isolates and some related species in the broader, inclusive clade, and the data were analyzed using genealogical concordance. The new isolates are described as Talaromyces columbinus. Penicillium rugulosum var. atricolum is given specific status in Talaromyces as T. atricola. Penicillium tardum and P. chrysitis were showed to be synonyms of T. rugulosus. Penicillium scorteum and T. phialosporum were showed to be conspecific and under the rule of priority T. scorteus is the proper name for isolates previously known as T. phialosporum. Talaromyces wortmanii was showed to be distinct from Penicillium concavorugulosum and T. variabilis but the relationship of the latter two species remains unresolved. Examination of internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences from GenBank showed that T. columbinus has previously been reported from human lung infections under the name Penicillium piceum.