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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 #303277
Title: Revision of Aspergillus section Flavipedes: seven new species and proposal of section Jani sect. nov.

Author
item HUBKA, VIT - Charles University, Czech Republic
item NOVAKOVA, ALENA - Charles University, Czech Republic
item KOLARIK, MIROSLAV - Charles University, Czech Republic
item JURJEVIC, ZELJKO - Emsl Analytical, Inc
item Peterson, Stephen

Submitted to: Mycologia
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/20/2014
Publication Date: 1/26/2015
Citation: Hubka, V., Novakova, A., Kolarik, M., Jurjevic, Z., Peterson, S.W. 2015. Revision of Aspergillus section Flavipedes: seven new species and proposal of section Jani sect. nov. Mycologia. 107(1):169-208.

Interpretive Summary: Aspergillus molds in the section Flavipedes are known to cause decay in foods, produce mycotoxins, are the source of the cholesterol lowering drug lovastatin and occasionally are human pathogens. The highly variable nature of the three species in the section has led us to question whether the species are properly described. We applied DNA sequence analysis techniques and modern species concepts to find and name seven new species. Our analysis shows that there are 10 distinct species in the section, each with distinct characteristics. This information should be useful to food technologists, drug development companies, clinical mycologists, and academic mycologists.

Technical Abstract: Aspergillus section Flavipedes contains species that are distributed world-wide in soil and rhizosphere, indoor and cave environments, plant endophytes, food contaminants, and occasionally causing human infections. They are producers of many bioactive and extensively studied secondary metabolites and biotechnologically relevant enzymes. The taxa were revised based on phylogenetic analysis of sequences from four loci (ß-tubulin, calmodulin, RPB2 and ITS rDNA), two PCR fingerprinting methods, micro- and macromorphology and physiology. Sect. Flavipedes includes three known and seven new species: A. ardalensis, A. frequens, A. luppii, A. mangaliensis, A. movilensis, A. Polyporicola, and A. spelaeus. Aspergillus neoflavipes was proposed for Fennellia flavipes a distinct species from its supposed asexual state A. flavipes. Aspergillus iizukae, A. Frequens, and A. mangaliensis seems to be the most common and widely distributed species, whereas A. flavipes s. str. is a rare species. A dichotomous key based on the combination of morphology and physiology is provided for all recognized species. Aspergillus section Jani is proposed for A. janus and A. brevijanus, species previously classified as members of sect. Versicolores, Terrei or Flavipedes. This new section is strongly supported by phylogenetic data and morphology. Sect. Jani species produce three types of conidiophores and conidia, and colonies have green and white sectors making them distinctive. Accessory conidia found in pathogenic A. terreus were found in all members of sects. Flavipedes and Jani. In addition, our data indicated that A. frequens sp. nov. is a clinically relevant species that produces accessory conidia during infection.