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1. Asia Pacific Sporolithon (Corallinophycidae, Rhodophyta) species revised based on DNA sequencing of type specimens and including S. crypticum sp. nov., S. immotum sp. nov . and S. nodosum sp. nov.

   https://doi.org/10.1080/00318884.2023.2225309  

   Gabrielson, Paul W.; Hughey, Jeffery R.; Peña, Viviana; Richards, Joseph L.; Saunders, Gary W.; Twist, Brenton; Farr, Tracy; Nelson, Wendy A. (November 2023, Phycologia)

   To address the taxonomic uncertainty of Sporolithon species named in the early to mid-20th century, targeted PCR sequencing was performed on eight historical type specimens and on recently collected specimens. Six type specimens amplified for the rbcL gene and were Sanger sequenced yielding sequences ranging in length from 118 to 280 base pairs (bp). One, S. australasicum, failed to amplify and another, S. howei, was amplified for the psbA gene yielding a sequence 544 bp in length. The 118 bp long rbcL sequence of the lectotype of S. crassiramosum showed that it is a later, heterotypic synonym of S. molle. The rbcL sequences of type specimens of S. episoredion, S. schmidtii, S. sibogae and S. timorense ranged from 118 to 228 bp, and each is a distinct species. The 544 bp long psbA sequence of S. howei is also unique. The 280 bp long rbcL sequence of the lectotype of S. durum did not match any sequence with that name in any public repository, including the previously published complete plastome and mitogenome sequences. However, it was identical in sequence to a specimen in GenBank from the southern coast of Western Australia as well as several other sequences generated from field-collected specimens from the states of South Australia and Western Australia. The rhodolith specimens from New Zealand previously called S. durum are S. nodosum sp. nov. The species is endemic to New Zealand. The epilithic specimens from New Zealand previously called S. durum are S. immotum sp. nov., which is also found along the southeastern coast of Australia. Sporolithon crypticum sp. nov. is described from the southern coast of Western Australia. RAxML and Bayesian phylogenetic analyses of Sporolithon psbA and rbcL sequences are congruent between the two plastid encoded genes. DNA sequencing of type specimens of species of corallines is demonstrated to be the only reliable method to correctly apply names. 

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2. Acinetobacter pollinis sp. nov., Acinetobacter baretiae sp. nov. and Acinetobacter rathckeae sp. nov., isolated from floral nectar and honey bees

   https://doi.org/10.1099/ijsem.0.004783  

   Alvarez-Perez, Sergio; Baker, Lydia J.; Morris, Megan M.; Tsuji, Kaoru; Sanchez, Vivianna A.; Fukami, Tadashi; Vannette, Rachel L.; Lievens, Bart; Hendry, Tory A. (May 2021, International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology)

   null (Ed.)

   A detailed evaluation of eight bacterial isolates from floral nectar and animal visitors to flowers shows evidence that they represent three novel species in the genus Acinetobacter . Phylogenomic analysis shows the closest relatives of these new isolates are Acinetobacter apis , Acinetobacter boissieri and Acinetobacter nectaris , previously described species associated with floral nectar and bees, but high genome-wide sequence divergence defines these isolates as novel species. Pairwise comparisons of the average nucleotide identity of the new isolates compared to known species is extremely low (<83 %), thus confirming that these samples are representative of three novel Acinetobacter species, for which the names Acinetobacter pollinis sp. nov., Acinetobacter baretiae sp. nov. and Acinetobacter rathckeae sp. nov. are proposed. The respective type strains are SCC477 T (=TSD-214 T =LMG 31655 T ), B10A T (=TSD-213 T =LMG 31702 T ) and EC24 T (=TSD-215 T =LMG 31703 T =DSM 111781 T ). 

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3. Halobacterium bonnevillei sp. nov., Halobaculum saliterrae sp. nov. and Halovenus carboxidivorans sp. nov., three novel carbon monoxide-oxidizing Halobacteria from saline crusts and soils

   https://doi.org/10.1099/ijsem.0.004282  

   Myers, Marisa R.; King, G.M. (July 2020, International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology)

   Three novel carbon monoxide-oxidizing Halobacteria were isolated from Bonneville Salt Flats (Utah, USA) salt crusts and nearby saline soils. Phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strains PCN9 T , WSA2 T and WSH3 T belong to the genera Halobacterium , Halobaculum and Halovenus , respectively. Strains PCN9 T , WSA2 T and WSH3 T grew optimally at 40 °C (PCN9 T ) or 50 °C (WSA2 T , WSH3 T ). NaCl optima were 3 M (PCN9 T , WSA2 T ) or 4 M NaCl (WSH3 T ). Carbon monoxide was oxidized by all isolates, each of which contained a molybdenum-dependent CO dehydrogenase. G+C contents for the three respective isolates were 66.75, 67.62, and 63.97 mol% as derived from genome analyses. The closest phylogenetic relatives for PCN9 T , WSA2 T and WSH3 T were Halobacterium noricense A1 T , Halobaculum roseum D90 T and Halovenus aranensis EB27 T with 98.71, 98.19 and 95.95 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities, respectively. Genome comparisons of PCN9 T with Halobacterium noricense A1 T yielded an average nucleotide identity (ANI) of 82.0% and a digital DNA–DNA hybridization (dDDH) value of 25.7 %; comparisons of WSA2 T with Halobaculum roseum D90 T yielded ANI and dDDH values of 86.34 and 31.1 %, respectively. The ANI value for a comparison of WSH3 T with Halovenus aranensis EB27 T was 75.2 %. Physiological, biochemical, genetic and genomic characteristics of PCN9 T , WSA2 T and WSH3 T differentiated them from their closest phylogenetic neighbours and indicated that they represent novel species for which the names Halobaculum bonnevillei , Halobaculum saliterrae and Halovenus carboxidivorans are proposed, respectively. The type strains are PCN9 T (=JCM 32472=LMG 31022=ATCC TSD-126), WSA2 T (=JCM 32473=ATCC TSD-127) and WSH3 T (=JCM 32474=ATCC TSD-128). 

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4. Coniochaeta elegans sp. nov., Coniochaeta montana sp. nov. and Coniochaeta nivea sp. nov., three new species of endophytes with distinctive morphology and functional traits

   https://doi.org/10.1099/ijsem.0.005003  

   Arnold, A. Elizabeth; Harrington, Alison H.; Huang, Yu-Ling; U'Ren, Jana M.; Massimo, Nicholas C.; Knight-Connoni, Victoria; Inderbitzin, Patrik (November 2021, International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology)

   A growing interest in fungi that occur within symptom-less plants and lichens (endophytes) has uncovered previously uncharacterized species in diverse biomes worldwide. In many temperate and boreal forests, endophytic Coniochaeta (Sacc.) Cooke ( Coniochaetaceae , Coniochaetales, Sordariomycetes , Ascomycota ) are commonly isolated on standard media, but rarely are characterized. We examined 26 isolates of Coniochaeta housed at the Gilbertson Mycological Herbarium. The isolates were collected from healthy photosynthetic tissues of conifers, angiosperms, mosses and lichens in Canada, Sweden and the United States. Their barcode sequences (nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer and 5.8S; ITS rDNA) were ≤97% similar to any documented species available through GenBank. Phylogenetic analyses based on two loci (ITS rDNA and translation elongation factor 1-alpha) indicated that two isolates represented Coniochaeta cymbiformispora , broadening the ecological niche and geographic range of a species known previously from burned soil in Japan. The remaining 24 endophytes represented three previously undescribed species that we characterize here: Coniochaeta elegans sp. nov., Coniochaeta montana sp. nov. and Coniochaeta nivea sp. nov. Each has a wide host range, including lichens, bryophytes and vascular plants. C. elegans sp. nov. and C. nivea sp. nov. have wide geographic ranges. C. montana sp. nov. occurs in the Madrean biome of Arizona (USA), where it is sympatric with the other species described here. All three species display protease, chitinase and cellulase activity in vitro . Overall, this study provides insight into the ecological and evolutionary diversity of Coniochaeta and suggests that these strains may be amenable for studies of traits relevant to a horizontally transmitted, symbiotic lifestyle. 

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5. Testudinimyces gracilis gen. nov, sp. nov. and Astrotestudinimyces divisus gen. nov, sp. nov., two novel, deep-branching anaerobic gut fungal genera from tortoise faeces

   https://doi.org/10.1099/ijsem.0.005921  

   Pratt, Carrie J.; Chandler, Emily E.; Youssef, Noha H.; Elshahed, Mostafa S. (May 2023, International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology)

   The anaerobic gut fungi (AGF,Neocallimastigomycota) represent a basal zoosporic phylum within the kingdomFungi. Twenty genera are currently described, all of which were isolated from the digestive tracts of mammalian herbivores. Here, we report on the isolation and characterization of novel AGF taxa from faecal samples of tortoises. Twenty-nine fungal isolates were obtained from seven different tortoise species. Phylogenetic analysis using the D1/D2 region of the LSU rRNA gene, ribosomal internal transcribed spacer 1, and RNA polymerase II large subunit grouped all isolates into two distinct, deep-branching clades (clades T and B), with a high level of sequence divergence to their closest cultured relative (Khoyollomyces ramosus). Average amino acid identity values calculated using predicted peptides from the isolates’ transcriptomes ranged between 60.80–66.21  % (clade T), and 61.24–64.83  % (clade B) when compared to all other AGF taxa; values that are significantly below recently recommended thresholds for genus (85%) and family (75%) delineation in theNeocallimastigomycota. Both clades displayed a broader temperature growth range (20–45 °C, optimal 30 °C for clade T, and 30–42 °C, optimal 39 °C for clade B) compared to all other AGF taxa. Microscopic analysis demonstrated that strains from both clades produced filamentous hyphae, polycentric rhizoidal growth patterns, and monoflagellated zoospores. Isolates in clade T were characterized by the production of unbranched, predominantly narrow hyphae, and small zoospores, while isolates in clade B were characterized by the production of multiple sporangiophores and sporangia originating from a single central swelling resulting in large multi-sporangiated structures. Based on the unique phylogenetic positions, AAI values, and phenotypic characteristics, we propose to accommodate these isolates into two novel genera (TestudinimycesandAstrotestudinimyces), and species (T. gracilisandA. divisus) within the orderNeocallimastigales. The type species are strains T130A^T(T. gracilis) and B1.1^T(A. divisus). 

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