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Flagelloscypha sp. PMI_526
Mycelium of Flagelloscypha growing on Modified Melin-Norkrans (MMN) agar in a petri dish (top). Dikaryotic nuclei are evident when stained with DAPI (bottom). Photo credits: Alejandro Rojas and Khalid Hameed.

In the “1KFG: Deep Sequencing of Ecologically-relevant Dikarya“ project (CSP1974), we aim to sequence additional sampling of genomic diversity within keystone lineages of plant-interacting fungi and saprophytic fungi that are of special ecological importance for understanding terrestrial ecosystems. In addition, comparative genome analysis with saprotrophic, mycorrhizal and pathogenic fungi will provide new insights into the specific and conserved adaptations associated with each fungal lifestyle.

Flagelloscypha is genus of cyphelloid fungi in the Niaceae (Agaricales, Basidiomycota). This group is characterized by the formation of white cup-shaped basidiocarps. Flagelloscypha sp. PMI_526 was isolated from Populus roots as an endophyte and the colonies on Modified Melin-Norkrans (MMN) are whitish to cream color. Clamp connections are present with dikaryotic nuclei typically colocalized within the clamps. Agerer and others have described this group of fungi mostly from litter and twigs. However, recent studies using amplicon sequencing or clone libraries have found Flagelloscypha associated with roots of different hosts including Pinus, Fagus, and Picea. Other species in this genus have been found to produce antibiotics that inhibit bacteria and fungi. This is the case for F. pilatii, which produces the antibiotic pilatin.

This work is supported by the Genomic Science Program (U.S. Department of Energy) Plant Microbe Interfaces (PMI) Scientific Focus Area (http://pmi.ornl.gov) and by the Joint Genome Institute (U.S. Department of Energy) through their Community Sequencing Program (CSP 1974, 1KFG: Deep Sequencing of Ecologically-relevant Dikarya, F. Martin PI).

References

Agerer, R. 1979. Flagelloscypha sect. Lachnelloscypha, a link between the genera Lachnella and Flagelloscypha. Persoonia. 10(3):337-346.

Bonito, G., Hameed, K., Ventura, R. & Krishnan, J. Isolating a functionally relevant guild of fungi from the root microbiome of Populus. Fungal Ecology (2016).

Goldmann K, Schröter K, Pena R, et al. Divergent habitat filtering of root and soil fungal communities in temperate beech forests. Scientific Reports. 2016;6:31439. doi:10.1038/srep31439.

Heim, J., Anke, T., Mocek, U., Steffan, B., & Steglich, W. (1988). Antibiotics from basidiomycetes. XXIX: Pilatin, a new antibiotically active marasmane derivative from cultures of Flagelloscypha pilatii Agerer. The Journal of antibiotics, 41(12), 1752-1757.