Ascomata of Lasiosphaeria similisorbina [Image Credit: Andrew N. Miller, University of Illinois, Illinois Natural History Survey]

CSP 2019 Proposal "Comparative genomics and association mapping in Sordariales: insights into functional diversity in Neurospora and its relatives" aims to investigate the genomic bases of fungal thermophily and thermotolerance, biomass-degradation, and fungal-bacterial interactions. Sequencing multiple populations and species of Sordariales will enable comparative analysis across an order of biomass-degrading fungi frequently encountered in soil, compost and herbivore dung, and encompassing one of the few groups of thermophilic fungi.

Lasiosphaeria similisorbina ILLS00125647

Fungal strain ILLS00125647 was isolated from a log of wood of Freycinetia banksii, near Wellington, Rimutaka Forest Park, New Zealand. Lasiosphaeria similisorbina belongs to Sordariales, family Lasiosphaeriaceae. It has ascomata that resemble L. ovina, but its asci and ascospores are similar to L. sorbina [1]. While L. ovina and L. sorbina are widespread throughout north temperate regions, L. similisorbina is only known from New Zealand.

Reference

1. Crous, P. W. et al. (2017). Fungal Planet description sheets: 625–715. Persoonia: Molecular Phylogeny and Evolution of Fungi, 39, 270.