This number of Mycological Research News features confusion over the identity of Trichoderma strains used in biocontrol, and recent changes made to the classification of Coprinus. Attention is also drawn to the new address of the Executive Editor.

Thirteen papers are included in this issue, three with widespread implications for our understanding of particular groups of fungi resulting from a combination of molecular and anatomical studies: the European poroid Hymenochaetales, the lichenized ascomycete family Bacidiaceae, and the Exobasidiales/Microstromatales.

Other molecular studies examine Ephelis isolates on grasses, compare the β-tubulin gene of Melampsora lini with that of other fungi, establish anamorph connections and synonymy in Cordyceps sinensis, variation in Botrytis elliptica, and the identification of ectomycorrhizal fungi in Eucalyptus ecosystems.

Phosphorous uptake in Phanerochaete velutina in relation to soil water potential has been studied. In Metarhizium anisopliae, proteins formed by cold-active isolates are documented, and the effect of different UV-B wavelengths explored. Effects of heavy metals on two fungi from polluted and clean streams are compared, and fungal mycelium preserved in amber 15–45 Myr old from the Dominican Republic is described.

The following new scientific names are introduced: Volvocisporiaceae fam. nov.; Pseudoinonotus, and Volvocisporium gens. nov.; Fuscoporia torulosa (syn. Polyporus torulosus), F. wahlbergii (syn. Trametes wahlbergii), Mensularia hastifera (syn. Inonotus hastifera), M. nodulosa (syn. Polyporus nodulosus), Pseudoinonotus chrondromyelus (syn. Inonotus chondromyelus), P. dryadeus (syn. Boletus dryadeus), P. victoriensis (syn. Polyporus victoriensis), and V. triumfetticola (syn. Muribasidiopsora triumfetticola) combs. nov.

The Executive Editor is now based in Madrid; see inside front cover for contact details. Manuscripts and enquiries should now be sent straight to Madrid and not his former London address.

Based on 43 taxa, the relationships of the European poroid Hymenochaetales were examined by molecular sequence data of a region of the large subunit of the nuclear-encoded ribosomal DNA. The molecular data were discussed referring to morphological and anatomical features of the fruit bodies, nuclear behaviour of the vegetative mycelium, and the pattern of reproduction. As a result, the genera Phellinus s. lat. and Inonotus s. lat. are subdivided into five subunits each. The following genera are accepted: Phellinus s. str. (P. igniarius group), Porodaedalea (P. pini group), Fomitiporia (P. robustus group), Fuscoporia (P. ferruginosus and relatives, including P. torulosus and P. wahlbergii), Phellinidium (P. ferrugineofuscus and relatives), Phylloporia (P. ribis) and Inonotus s. str. (I. hispidus and relatives), Inocutis (I. rheades group), Mensularia (I. radiatus and relatives), Pseudoinonotus gen. nov. (I. dryadeus and relatives), and Inonotopsis (I. subiculosus). Their relationships to non-European members of these groups are discussed. Onnia and Coltricia were confirmed as separate genera. Phaeolus schweinitzii was placed outside of the Hymenochaetales.

The phylogeny of the family Bacidiaceae (Lecanorales, Ascomycota) was investigated using 65 nuclear ITS1-5·8S-ITS2 ribosomal DNA sequences, 63 of which were newly determined. After exclusion of ambiguous alignment, the data set contained 285 variable characters, 212 of which were parsimony-informative. Phylogenetic estimations were performed with maximum parsimony (unweighted and weighted) and maximum likelihood optimality criteria. Four different phylogenetic hypotheses were tested using a parametric bootstrap approach to simulate the expected null distribution of the difference between the globally optimal tree and the best (constrained) tree agreeing with the null hypotheses under unweighted and weighted parsimony, and maximum likelihood: (1) the genus Bacidia is monophyletic; (2) the genus Bacidina is monophyletic; (3) the genus Toninia is monophyletic; and (4) the family Ramalinaceae is monophyletic and distinct from a monophyletic Bacidiaceae. The monophyly of Bacidia, Toninia, and the Ramalinaceae was rejected under all circumstances. Hence, Bacidiaceae is likely to be a younger synonym of Ramalinaceae. The monophyly of Bacidina was not rejected under any optimality criterion. Furthermore, the data set suggests that the Bacidia beckhausii and B. sabuletorum groups are unrelated to Bacidia s. str., that Megalaria is monophyletic, and that Lecania auct. is polyphyletic.

Characteristics of hyphal septation, cellular interaction, sporulation, cultures and/or nucleotide sequences from the 5′ terminal domain of the nuclear large subunit rRNA gene of some species of Exobasidium, Microstroma and Muribasidiospora were examined and compared. Our analyses show that the order Microstromatales comprises Microstroma, Muribasidiospora triumfetticola and the anamorphic species Rhodotorula bacarum, R. phylloplana and Sympodiomycopsis paphiopedili, whereas Muribasidiospora hesperidium and Muribasidiospora indica are members of the Exobasidiales. Because of the high degree of morphological divergence between Muribasidiospora triumfetticola and Microstroma, a new genus, Volvocisporium, and a new family, Volvocisporiaceae, of the Microstromatales are proposed. Apart from the phylogenetic implications, the most interesting observations in the present work are the unusual development of the basidia, especially of the basidiospores, and the nutrient transport system from the host attacking hyphae to the basidia in Muribasidiospora triumfetticola.

Ephelis japonica and E. oryzae are biotrophic fungi that form systemic epiphytic associations with warm-season grasses. Ephelis has been recognized as the anamorph of Balansia and Myriogenospora, and a synanamorph of Atkinsonella; all three genera belong to Clavicipitaceae (Ascomycota). The teleomorphs have not been detected for E. japonica and E. oryzae. Balansia oryzae had been regarded as the teleomorph of Ephelis oryzae, however, this teleomorphic name is not validly published for the teleomorph alone (Art. 59·6). We analyzed the sequences of the ITS1, ITS2 and 5·8S rDNA regions of 33 Ephelis isolates from Japan, Korea, China, Nepal and India. Phylogenetic relationships of these isolates were analyzed, together with other clavicipitaceous fungi for which sequences were obtained from GenBank. All Asian Ephelis isolates formed a single cluster, which comprised two subgroups. One subgroup had strong affinity with B. andropogonis, an epibiont of grasses in tropical regions of Asia. The second subgroup had strong affinity with B. discoidea, an epibiont of grasses in the Americas. A close relationship was also shown to B. asperata, another epibiont of grasses of tropical regions of Asia. Our results do not justify the separation of Asian Ephelis epibionts into E. oryzae and E. japonica. E. japonica, established in 1904, ten years prior to the name E. oryzae, is the appropriate name for the asexual Ephelis epibionts of warm season grasses of Asia.

A Melampsora lini β-tubulin gene and flanking sequence has been isolated and characterised. The gene contains 8 introns, is expressed in germinating urediospores and vegetative mycelia and encodes a 448 amino acid protein that is similar to other fungal β-tubulin genes. Evidence for a second β-tubulin gene within the M. lini genome is also presented. The predicted M. lini β-tubulin protein was compared with 34 other fungal β-tubulin proteins in a phylogenetic analysis and, in general, good agreement was observed between the derived β-tubulin based phylogeny and the current taxonomic status of these species. However, a second β-tubulin protein found in five fungal species is atypical when compared to other fungal β-tubulin proteins. Analysis of intron positions within 33 fungal β-tubulin genes showed that intron location was generally characteristic of the fungal class, with euascomycete fungi showing particularly striking conservation of intron position, although intron number was variable and intron sequences showed little conservation.

Cordyceps sinensis, the caterpillar fungus in traditional Chinese medicine, has been intensively collected from nature in recent years. As a result, the establishment of the anamorph of this species has become important for large-scale culture to meet increasing demand for medicinal use and to ease exploitation of natural populations. To establish a reliable connection between the teleomorph and anamorph stages, the ITS nrDNA sequences were sequenced from both the stroma of the telemorph and cultures of the anamorph. Observations of microcyclic conidiation were also made on germinated ascospores and compared with the anamorph in culture. Hirsutella sinensis was confirmed as the anamorph of C. sinensis by both DNA sequences and microcyclic conidiation. Two recently described species, C. multiaxialis and C. nepalensis, were shown to share identical or almost identical ITS sequences with C. sinensis. These minor variations were considered to be within the range of variation exhibited within a species, but representing different populations. Sequences from other Cordyceps species included in this study exhibited considerable differences from each other. Therefore, these three entities are probably conspecific, and the names should be regarded as synonymous. The morphological characters used in the description of the two new species are discussed. It is suggested that ITS sequences provided useful information on establishing the anamorph–telemorph connection and assisting in the delimitation of species within Cordyceps.

Genetic variation was found between isolates of Botrytis elliptica from the USA and Taiwan based on 22 polymorphic markers from five RAPD primers. Among these 69 isolates, there were 43 different genotypes. One clonal genotype was found spanning Oregon and Washington, USA, and in a population from Hsinshe, Taiwan, clonal genotypes were frequent, demonstrating the importance of asexual spread of this pathogen. However, when only unique genotypes were considered, gametic disequilibrium among putative RAPD loci of the genotypes from Taiwan (33) or Hsinshe (23) was not detected, suggesting an underlying sexual recombination system for this population of B. elliptica. A weak level of cultivar specialization was detected among B. elliptica isolates from the Hsinshe population based on analysis of genetic distances between isolates.

Gondwanan vegetation, and the Australian region in particular, is species rich for ectomycorrhizal fungi in epigeous and hypogeous forms with over 100 species recorded in small (1 ha) patches of forests. Distinguishing co-occurring ectomycorrhizal fungi as root associations in native (natural or wildlands) vegetation or plantations and discriminating them from other larger basidiomycetes, e.g. wood and leaf litter decomposer fungi, places large demands on molecular identification, especially if interspecific similarities and intraspecific variation occur in target sequences. One hundred and nine species of larger basidiomycetes from a single forest location were characterised by PCR–RFLP profiles of two genomic regions (nuclear rDNA ITS and mtLSU). Over one-third of the species for which multiple isolates were tested showed intraspecific variation in either one or both genomic regions. This remarkably high variation questions previous assumptions about intraspecific ITS sequence variation and highlights the value of integrated molecular and morphological databases including voucher specimens. It also emphasises the value of molecular investigations that use more than one genomic region. Interspecific similarities were common among the Cortinariaceae, especially in the ITS region. Discrimination of most Cortinariaceae species was achieved using variation in the mtLSU region in conjunction with the ITS. This new information raises the possibilities that the ITS sequence is more conserved and the mtLSU more variable than among species of the other 23 families. In the other families, interspecific ITS variation was greater and the mtLSU profiles grouped species within families. The high variation in the two genomic regions indicated possible differences in the fungal population structure between two adjacent, differently managed blocks of Eucalyptus marginata forest. The significance of this variation to ecology, biodiversity assessment and ecosystem management are discussed.

Mycelial cord systems, of the basidiomycete Phanerochaete velutina, a common woodland saprotroph, were grown on unsterile soil in model laboratory microcosms from 4 cm3 wood inocula. Systems were supplied after 37 d with a fresh 4 cm3 beech wood ‘bait', placed behind the foraging colony margin. Systems were subject to dry shift (−0.056 MPa) or wet shift (−0.009 MPa) over an 11 d period either immediately after, or 20 d after baits were supplied. Controls were maintained at constant soil matric potential (−0.019 MPa). 57-d-old systems were supplied with NH4K2PO4 including 32P tracer within soil compartments local to inoculum or bait. Image analysis was used to quantify morphological responses to water regime and resource supply, and tracer movement monitored non-destructively with a scintillation probe for 57 d. 32P uptake was greatest when tracer was supplied local to the inoculum. Dry shift concurrent with bait supply caused system wide cord-thickening, prevented polarised growth towards the newly supplied bait, had a significant carbon (energy) cost compared to controls, significantly reduced 32P acquisition, and significantly increased 32P relocation to the bait. Wet shift concurrent with bait supply caused considerable loss of extra-resource mycelium in the unbaited region, resulting in highly polarised development along the bait-inoculum line, but did not affect 32P uptake and partitioning. Delayed wet shift caused swifter polarisation towards the bait, quantified in terms of fractal dimension, did not result in system wide regression of extra-resource mycelium, and resulted in correspondingly increased rates of 32P acquisition. Delayed dry shift prevented polarised growth towards the bait and had only transient effects on 32P uptake and partitioning. Results suggest that resource capture took priority over coordination of C reserves and reallocation of mycelial effort, and that mycelium colonising the new resource was more dependent on P translocate during desiccation stress.

The entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae is generally considered to be mesophylic, although some isolates have the ability to grow at 8 °C. In two cold-active isolates (DAT-1 from Tasmania and CLB2-1vi from Ontario, Canada) and one non-cold-active isolate (Ma 2575 from South Carolina), we (1) analyzed cold-induced intracellular proteins, using two-dimensional (2D) gel electrophoresis, and (2) analyzed cold-active transcripts, using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based subtractive hybridization technique. Protein differences, as observed by 2D gel electrophoresis, were observed in cold active isolates grown at 8 ° when compared with 25 °, but such differences were not observed in the non-cold active isolate. Fungi were also subjected to various stresses (45 °, pH, and salinity) to determine how proteins induced under these conditions compared to proteins induced under low temperature growth. Proteins induced were either specific to cold-active growth or were general stress proteins and differences were also observed in 2D patterns between the two cold-active isolates. Transcripts upregulated during growth at 8 ° and isolated by a PCR based subtractive hybridization technique also differed between the two cold-active isolates. Analysis of the transcripts showed several novel sequences but also included transcripts with similarities to actin, NADPH quinone oxidoreductase, a thiamine biosynthesis protein and a yeast-like membrane protein. The potential role of these proteins in cold-active growth is discussed.

The effects of two UV irradiances (920 and 1200 mW m−2 weighted irradiance) on the conidia and germlings of the ARSEF 2575 and ARSEF 23 strains of M. anisopliae were studied. Conidia were exposed to the two irradiance levels for 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, or 8 h. The 30% increase (from 920 to 1200 mW m−2) in UV irradiance caused a significant decrease in culturability following all periods of exposure and reduced the 50% lethal time (TL50) 36% for strain 2575 and 48% for strain 23. Exposure to UV radiation of only 1 h caused a delay of several hours in the germination of surviving conidia. Longer periods of exposure delayed germination for days, demonstrating that, depending on the dose, the fungus may require a long period of time to recover and to resume germination. The results demonstrated the inability of the fungus to germinate during direct exposure to the UV-B portion of simulated sunlight. Both strains showed a transitory increase in UV tolerance during germination. The beginning of germination increased UV tolerance. However, starting on the 6th hour of germination, a decrease in tolerance was observed, indicating that UV tolerance varies as a function of physiological state and cell-cycle phase.

The influence of Cd(II), Cu(II) and Zn(II) on growth and thiol production in an aquatic hyphomycete (Articulospora tetracladia) and a zygomycete (Mucor racemosus) were studied. Growth of a strain of M. racemosus, isolated from effluents contaminated by heavy metals, was not inhibited by Cd concentrations of up to 100 μM. M. racemosus was more sensitive to Cu and Zn. The production of SH-containing compounds by M. racemosus was positively correlated with Cd concentration in the nutrient medium. By contrast, glutathione concentration in the mycelium was negatively correlated with Cd concentration. Addition of Zn or Cu to the medium had no significant effect on mycelial levels of thiol compounds or glutathione. One strain of A. tetracladia, isolated from a clean stream (At-BB), significantly increased the production of thiol compounds and of glutathione in the presence of Cd; the other strain from a Cu enriched stream (At-CS) showed no significant response. Addition of Zn or Cu did not significantly change levels of thiols or glutathione, with one exception: glutathione levels in At-CS were negatively correlated with external Cu levels. Declining glutathione levels in M. racemosus exposed to Cd was coupled with the appearance of several phytochelatins. No such compounds were found in A. tetracladia.

A fossilised fungal colony is described and illustrated from Dominican amber dating back 15–45 Myr. Many hyphae in the coenocytic mycelium had produced terminal or intercalary protuberances resembling the sporangia of some extant zygomycetes and oomycetes. Other hyphae had produced cylindrical arthroconidia similar to those of Geotrichum and related extant yeasts. Many fossilised diaspores had germinated prior to preservation. The fungus seems to have been a rapidly growing saprophyte, utilising fluid substrates, possibly plant exudate. The palaeoenvironment proposed for the mycelium, namely that of a moist epiphytic or epixylic microhabitat, supports earlier conclusions that the original Dominican amber forest possessed a tropical moist forest biome.