New insights into acremonium-like fungi in Hypocreales: A taxonomic and phylogenetic perspective.

内容摘要

Acremonium-like fungi represent a morphologically reduced and polyphyletic group with ecological roles ranging from saprophytes and endophytes to opportunistic pathogens, and with demonstrated potential for producing bioactive secondary metabolites. Convergent morphologies and incomplete molecular data have long hampered their taxonomic resolution. Recent studies, combining morphological features, phylogenetic analyses, and ecological and host associations have classified acremonium-like species within the orders Cephalothecales, Coniochaetales, Glomerellales, and Hypocreales. Furthermore, Acremonium s. str. is restricted to the family Bionectriaceae. However, many acremonium-like species remain to be discovered, and there are still gaps in our understanding of their ecological functions and potential applications in biotechnology. In this study, we evaluated 402 isolates of acremonium-like fungi from the CBS culture collection, including isolates that had not yet undergone molecular analysis. Isolates were analysed based on morphological characters and molecular phylogeny, for which DNA sequence data were obtained from the internal transcribed spacer regions 1 and 2 and 5.8S nuclear ribosomal RNA gene (ITS), partial 28S large subunit (LSU) nrDNA, and the protein-coding genes RNA polymerase II second largest subunit (RPB2) and translation elongation factor 1-alpha (TEF1). Our results place those isolates into the orders Hypocreales and Trichosphaeriales, distributed in 18 families and 149 species. The most represented family is Bionectriaceae, followed by Sarocladiaceae and Trichosphaeriaceae. We introduce two new families, seven new genera, and 33 novel species, along with four new combinations. This study provides a robust phylogenetic framework for the order Hypocreales, resolving 29 families, thereby stablishing a strong foundation for future ecological, medical, and biotechnological studies on this taxonomically complex group. Taxonomic novelties: New families: Aurantidochiaceae Lin Zhao & Crous, Neochrysonectriaceae Lin Zhao & Crous. New genera: Aurantidochiaceae: Aurantidochium Lin Zhao & Crous, Lagenariomyces Lin Zhao & Crous; Bionectriaceae: Cannomyces Lin Zhao & Crous, Pilgeriellomyces Lin Zhao & Crous; Neochrysonectriaceae: Neochrysonectria Lin Zhao & Crous; Stachybotryaceae: Sporodochius Lin Zhao & Crous; Trichosphaeriaceae: Titanomyces Lin Zhao & Crous. New species: Aurantidochiaceae: Lagenariomyces collarulis Lin Zhao & Crous, Lagenariomyces varioconidialis Lin Zhao & Crous; Bionectriaceae: Acremonium ecuadorense Lin Zhao & Crous, Acremonium proliferatum Lin Zhao & Crous, Acremonium soli Lin Zhao & Crous, Acremonium tapetis Lin Zhao & Crous, Cannomyces spinulosus Lin Zhao & Crous, Clavatomyces pycnidialis Lin Zhao & Crous, Lasionectria eichhorniae Lin Zhao & Crous, Pilgeriellomyces brasiliensis Lin Zhao & Crous, Protocreopsis ellipsoidea Lin Zhao & Crous, Protocreopsis helvetica Lin Zhao & Crous, Protocreopsis polyphialidica Lin Zhao & Crous, Protocreopsis spinulosa Lin Zhao & Crous, Ramosiphorum sporodochiale Lin Zhao & Crous, Verruciconidia maritima Lin Zhao & Crous, Verruciconidia indonesiana Lin Zhao & Crous, Verruciconidia terricola Lin Zhao & Crous, Verruciconidia thailandica Lin Zhao & Crous; Neochrysonectriaceae: Neochrysonectria humicola Lin Zhao & Crous; Sarocladiaceae: Chlamydocillium theobromae Lin Zhao & Crous, Chlamydocillium viridicolor Lin Zhao & Crous, Parasarocladium kislosladkoense Lin Zhao, O.A. Grum-Grzhim & Crous, Sarocladium alniphilum Lin Zhao & Crous, Sarocladium catenulatum Lin Zhao & Crous, Sarocladium hirsutum Lin Zhao & Crous, Sarocladium humicola Lin Zhao & Crous, Sarocladium limosialveum Lin Zhao, O.A. Grum-Grzhim & Crous, Sarocladium nubiaquae Lin Zhao & Crous; Trichosphaeriaceae: Allomusicillium malicola Lin Zhao & Crous, Brunneomyces romanianus Lin Zhao & Crous, Chlamydosporiella aerina Lin Zhao & Crous, Titanomyces triconidiogenes Lin Zhao & Crous. New combinations: Aurantidochiaceae: Aurantidochium guadalupense (Ramaley) Lin Zhao & Crous; Bionectriaceae: Clavatomyces palmarum (Zhang et al.) Lin Zhao & Crous; Sarocladiaceae: Polyphialocladium margaretcollinsiae (Y.P. Tan et al.) Lin Zhao & Crous; Stachybotryaceae: Sporodochius pironii (Alfieri & Samuels) Lin Zhao & Crous. Citation: Zhao L, Groenewald JZ, Hou LW, Starink-Willemse M, Beek B, Grum-Grzhimaylo OA, Summerbell RC, Crous PW (2026). New insights into acremonium-like fungi in Hypocreales: A taxonomic and phylogenetic perspective. Studies in Mycology 113: 1-71. doi: 10.3114/sim.2026.113.01.