Leptosillia mimosae (Leptosilliaceae, Xylariales), a new endophytic species from the Caatinga dry forest in Brazil

Abstract

Exploring the diversity of endophytic fungi from branches of Mimosa tenuiflora (Fabaceae), a native plant of the Caatinga dry forest in the Northeast Brazil, 33 strains were preliminarily identified as members of Leptosillia (Leptosilliaceae) based on sequences of the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS rDNA). Subsequently, morphological features of the isolates were analysed, and for species identification a multi–marker analysis was performed using the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS), the partial large subunit nuclear ribosomal RNA gene (LSU rDNA), the second largest subunit of RNA polymerase II gene (RPB2), the translation elongation factor EF–1 alpha gene (TEF1), and the β–tubulin gene (TUB2). Our isolates were placed in two independent lineages: Leptosillia mimosae sp. nov. is proposed to name 32 of the endophytic isolates, while the isolate URM 8384 was identified as Leptosillia sp. and is likely another new species. In the phylogenetic tree, the endophytic Leptosillia mimosae sp. nov. and Leptosillia sp. appeared in the same clade having the pathogen L. pistaciae as their sister species.