Figure: (A) Habitat where Trinosporium guianense was collected (tropical rainforest, French Guiana), (B) conidia brown, smooth, widest at apex, with three lateral, rounded lobes, tapering towards a truncate base, 1 μm diam; conidia -4 μm wide at apex, 3-4 μm tall. (C) conidiomata 3-150 μm diam, separate, globose, with a central ostiole, up to 25 μm diam, lined with periphyses; wall of -3 layers of brown textura angularis, and (D) a section of a concatenated ITS + LSU maximum likelihood tree, showing the sister relationship between Xylona heveae and Trinosporium guianense. Photo credit: Pedro Crous at CBS-KNAW

Trinosporium guianense was first described as a member of the Dothideomycetes but further phylogenetic analysis placed it within the Xylonomycetes. Morphologically, it is similar to its sister genus Xylona; however, the ecology and nutritional mode of Trinosporium is very different. Trinosporium guianense (MUCL 53977 = CBS 132537 = CPC 19878) was isolated from sporocarp tissue of Amauroderma sp. (Basidiomycota), living in association with a tropical tree (Fabaceae) in French Guiana. Data obtained from the sequencing of this genome will help understand better the Xylonomycetes and can be used in comparative analyses. In addition, since this species was found living within another fungi, we will like to explore its mycoparasitic potential.

For more information: Crous, P. W., B. A. Summerell, R. G. Shivas, T. I. Burgess, C. A. Decock, L. L. Dreyer, L. L. Granke et al. "Fungal Planet description sheets: 107-127." Persoonia: Molecular Phylogeny and Evolution of Fungi 28 (2012): 138. http://www.fungalplanet.org/content/pdf-files/FungalPlanet121.pdf