Home • Xylariales sp. AK1849 v1.0
Xylariales sp. AK1849 on 2% malt extract agar (MEA). photo credit: J. M. U’Ren.
Xylariales sp. AK1849 on 2% malt extract agar (MEA). photo credit: J. M. U’Ren.

Xylariales sp. AK1849 was isolated in culture from the surface-sterilized, senescent leaf of Picea glauca (Pinaceae) near Nome, AK as part of a study examining endophytic fungal communities across North America (U’Ren et al., 2012; U'Ren and Arnold, 2016). Using ITS-partial LSU rDNA sequencing, we identified this isolate as an unidentified species of Xylariales (Pezizomycotina, Sordariomycetes, Xylariomycetidae) with affinities to the genera Plectosphaera and Phlogicylindrium (Summerell et al., 2006). Species of Xylariales commonly occur as plant pathogens, litter and wood saprotrophs, and endophytes in temperate and tropical forests worldwide. Isolated as a conifer endophyte, the genome of AK1849 is particularly useful for comparative genomic analyses to examine the evolution of pathogenicity and substrate use in this diverse clade.

Genome Reference(s)

References:

Summerell, B.A., J.Z. Groenewald, A.J. Carnegie, R.C. Summerbell, P.W. Crous. 2006. Eucalyptus microfungi known from culture. 2. Alysidiella, Fusculina and Phlogicylindrium genera nova, with notes on some other poorly known taxa. Fungal Diversity. 23: 323–350.

U’Ren, J. M., F. Lutzoni, J. Miadlikowska, A. Laetsch & A.E. Arnold. 2012. Host- and geographic structure of endophytic and endolichenic fungi at a continental scale. American Journal of Botany. 99: 898–914.

U’Ren, J. M., A.E. Arnold. 2016. Diversity, taxonomic composition, and functional aspects of fungal communities in living, senescent, and fallen leaves at five sites across North America. PeerJ. e2768.