Segregation of the genus Parahypoxylon (Hypoxylaceae, Xylariales) from Hypoxylon by a polyphasic taxonomic approach

By

Cedeño-Sanchez, Marjorie
Charria-Girón, Esteban
Lambert, Christopher
Luangsa-ard, Jennifer
Decock, Cony
Franke, Raimo
Brönstrup, Mark
Stadler, Marc

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2023

Original Publication

Journal of Hymenoptera research

Volume

95

Pages

131--162

Subjects

Ascomycota , metabolite annotation , one new genus , one new species , Phylogeny , polythetic taxonomy , Xylariales

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Washington, D.C International Society of Hymenopterists

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/mycokeys.95.98125

 

Abstract

During a mycological survey of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a fungal specimen that morphologically resembled the American species Hypoxylon papillatum was encountered. A polyphasic approach including morphological and chemotaxonomic together with a multigene phylogenetic study (ITS, LSU, tub2, and rpb2) of Hypoxylon spp. and representatives of related genera revealed that this strain represents a new species of the Hypoxylaceae. However, the multi-locus phylogenetic inference indicated that the new fungus clustered with H. papillatum in a separate clade from the other species of Hypoxylon. Studies by ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography coupled to diode array detection and ion mobility tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-DAD-IM-MS/MS) were carried out on the stromatal extracts. In particular, the MS/MS spectra of the major stromatal metabolites of these species indicated the production of hitherto unreported azaphilone pigments with a similar core scaffold to the cohaerin-type metabolites, which are exclusively found in the Hypoxylaceae. Based on these results, the new genus Parahypoxylon is introduced herein. Aside from P. papillatum, the genus also includes P. ruwenzoriensesp. nov., which clustered together with the type species within a basal clade of the Hypoxylaceae together with its sister genus Durotheca.