Phylogeny of Ajellomyces, Polytolypa and Spiromastix (Onygenaceae)

Published: January 1st, 2002

Revised: July 21st, 2014

Abstract

Phylogenetic relationships within the Onygenales were inferred from maximum parsimony analyses of partial nuclear large ribosomal RNA subunit (nucLSU) sequences for 46 members of this order. The inferred phylogeny supports the division of the Onygenales into a number of separate lineages, two of which correspond to the Arthrodermataceae and Gymnoascaceae. The Onygenaceae, as circumscribed currently, is not monophyletic, and although the members of this family can be divided into a number of well-supported groups, the relationships among many of these taxa and their position relative to the Gymnoascaceae remain unresolved in our sequence-based phylogenies. Shanorella is more closely allied to the Arthrodermataceae than to the Onygenaceae. Our phylogenies provide additional evidence that a number of the morphological characters used to distinguish members of the Onygenales are of limited value for inferring phylogenetic relationships. Analysis of a data set that includes 12 non-molecular characters, partial nucLSU and mitochondrial small subunit RNA sequences (1406 bp) for a subset of eight taxa provides strong evidence for the close association of Spiromastix grisea and the dimorphic pathogen Ajellomyces dermatitidis. The new combination, Ajellomyces grisea (Currah & Locquin-Linard) Untereiner & Scott, is proposed.

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