Molecular Systematics of Aspergillus and its Teleomorphs
Robert A. Samson and János Varga
from: Aspergillus: Molecular Biology and Genomics (Edited by: Masayuki Machida and Katsuya Gomi). Caister Academic Press, U.K. (2010)
Abstract
Mainly because of its economic importance, the genus Aspergillus has one of the better described taxonomies among filamentous fungi. Molecular techniques, especially multilocus sequencing studies have recently enabled mycologists to get closer to clarify the evolutionary relationships of the Aspergillus genus and its teleomorphs. In this review, we summarize our current knowledge on the systematics of the Aspergillus genus, with emphasis on economically important Aspergilli. Based on the phylogenetic analysis of multilocus (calmodulin, RNA polymerase 2 and rRNA) sequence data, Aspergillus can be subdivided into eight subgenera. Subgenus Aspergillus with the sections Aspergillus and Restricti; subgenus Fumigati with the sections Fumigati, Clavati and Cervini; subgenus Circumdati with the sections Circumdati, Nigri, Flavi and Cremei; subgenus Candidi with section Candidi; subgenus Terrei with sections Terrei and Flavipedes; subgenus Nidulantes with sections Nidulantes, Usti and Sparsi; subgenus Warcupi with sections Warcupi and Zonati and subgenus Ornati with section Ornati. At present 13 teleomorph genera are known with an Aspergillus anamorph: Chaetosartorya, Dichotomomyces, Emericella, Eurotium, Fennellia, Neocarpenteles, Neopetromyces, Neosartorya, Penicilliopsis, Petromyces, Sclerocleista and Warcupiella. These genera are taxonomically specifically assigned to the various subgenera and sections read more ...
