New Species, New Record, and Antagonistic Potential of Torula (Torulaceae, Pleosporales) from Jilin Province, China

TL;DR

This study discovers a new species and a new host record of Torula fungi in China and tests their ability to inhibit harmful fungi and bacteria.

Contribution

Describes a new Torula species and a new host record, along with their antagonistic potential against pathogens.

Findings

Torula changchunensis sp. nov. inhibits Cladobotryum mycophilum by 67.18% and shows moderate inhibition against bacteria.

Torula mackenziei shows moderate-to-weak inhibition against both fungi and bacteria.

The new species differs from related Torula species in conidial and conidiogenous cell features.

Abstract

During a survey of ascomycetous fungi associated with plant litter and submerged wood in Jilin Province, China, two hyphomycetous fungi were discovered. Morphological examination and molecular phylogenetic analyses revealed that these isolates represent two species within the genus Torula, which are herein described as Torula changchunensis sp. nov. and a new host record of T. mackenziei. Detailed morphological characteristics are provided, and the phylogenetic relationships of the new species are also discussed. The new species differs from T. chinensis and T. phytolaccae by having smaller conidiogenous cells, smaller conidia, and fewer septa. Preliminary assessments were conducted on T. changchunensis and T. mackenziei to evaluate their antagonistic activity against two pathogenic fungi (Cladobotryum mycophilum and Botrytis cinerea) and two pathogenic bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis). Torula changchunensis sp. nov. exhibited 67.18% inhibition against C. mycophilum and moderate inhibition against the pathogenic bacteria, whereas Torula mackenziei showed moderate-to-weak inhibitory activity against both pathogenic fungi and bacteria.

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