Lindra thalassiae ascospores. Spatafora, Volkmann-Kohlmeyer and Kohlmeyer, 1998

Lindra thallasiae JK4322 was sequenced as part of the 1000 Fungal Genomes Project

Lindra thalassiae Orpurt, Meyers, Boral & Simms (Lulworthiales, Lulworthiaceae) is a marine filamentous fungus distributed worldwide, but primarily isolated in tropical and sub-tropical regions. It has been observed parasitizing various sea grasses including Thalassia testudinum, but has also been associated with disease in marine algae, causing ‘raisin disease’ in Sargassum sp. in which the air vesicles of the algae shrivel and turn wrinkled. Perithecia of this fungus have been observed on parasitized hosts, but also have been associated with hard surfaces such as sand grains or calcareous materials. Unlike most filamentous fungi, the ascospores are passively released via breakdown of the ascus wall and the spores have a filiform sinusoidal morphology, which is hypothesized to promote buoyancy in sea water. The genome of L. thalassiae will be utilized in a study of the evolution of salt tolerance in marine fungi, but also facilitates a greater understanding of fungal/host associations in the marine environment which can have an impact on economically important harvested or farmed marine algae.