AUTHOR=Wang Yao , Tang De-Xiang , Luo Run , Wang Yuan-Bing , Thanarut Chinnapan , Dao Van-Minh , Yu Hong 

TITLE=Phylogeny and systematics of the genus Clonostachys

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=14

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2023.1117753

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2023.1117753

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<sec><title>Introduction</title><p><italic>Clonostachys</italic>, a genus with rich morphological and ecological diversity in Bionectriaceae, has a wide distribution among diverse habitats.</p></sec><sec><title>Methods and Results</title><p>In the present study, a phylogenetic framework is reconstructed for the family Bionectriaceae focusing on <italic>Clonostachys</italic> through increased taxon-sampling using the nr<italic>LSU</italic> sequence. Through surveying <italic>Clonostachys</italic> in China, Vietnam, and Thailand over the past 3 years, seven <italic>Clonostachys</italic> spp. were found and identified. Two new species, <italic>C. chuyangsinensis</italic> and <italic>C. kunmingensis,</italic> are described and illustrated based on morphological characteristics and molecular data. The phylogenetic positions of the seven species were evaluated based on four genomic loci (ITS, nr<italic>LSU</italic>, <italic>TUB2</italic>, and <italic>TEF1</italic>).</p></sec><sec><title>Discussion</title><p>Moreover, the genetic divergence comparisons of <italic>Clonostachys</italic> species for three markers (ITS, <italic>TUB2</italic>, and <italic>TEF1</italic>) are also provided. The results indicated that the <italic>TEF1</italic> sequence data provided the best resolution for distinguishing species of <italic>Clonostachys</italic>, followed by sequence data for the <italic>TUB2</italic> and ITS regions.</p></sec>