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Novel Mucoralean Fungus From a Repugnant Substrate: Mucor merdophylus sp. nov., Isolated From Dog Excrement

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Abstract

The repeated observation of dog dung covered by abundant white cottony mycelium in a private garden in the city of Rio de Janeiro, state of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) prompted an investigation to clarify the identity of the fungus involved. Three different species of mucoralean fungi (together with some ascomycete asexual morphs) were present. Two were identified as belonging to Mycotypha sp. and Thamnostylum sp., and the third belonged to Mucor sp. This publication deals with the full taxonomic elucidation of the latter. Based on morphological, physiological, and molecular data (ITS and LSU rDNA regions), it was recognized that this Mucor differed from all other species. It produces strongly sympodially circinate branched sporangiophores (some with up to four septa) with numerous swellings resembling abortive sporangia. It also has cylindrical, obovoid, pyriform, or ovoid columellae and its sporangiospores are mostly ellipsoid, although some are subglobose and others are irregular. Based on the evidence of the analyzed datasets, the new species Mucor merdophylus is hereby proposed.

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Acknowledgements

This manuscript was financed by the project “Diversity of Mucoromycotina in the different ecosystems of the Atlantic Forest of Pernambuco” (FACEPE–First Projects Program PPP/FACEPE/CNPq–APQ–0842-2.12/14). We also thank the Fundação de Amparo à Ciência e Tecnologia do Estado de Pernambuco and Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico for the scholarships, respectively, awarded to Diogo Xavier Lima and to André L. C. M. de A. Santiago.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Micologia, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Av. Prof. Nelson Chaves, s/n, Recife, State of Pernambuco, 50670-420, Brazil

    Diogo X. Lima, Thalline R. L. Cordeiro, Carlos A. F. de Souza, Rafael J. V. de Oliveira & André L. C. M. de A. Santiago

  2. Departamento de Fitopatologia, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, State of Minas Gerais, 36570-900, Brazil

    R. W. Barreto

  3. Environmental Microbiology Lab, Department of Agricultural Biological Chemistry, College of Agriculture & Life Sciences, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, 61186, Korea

    Hyang B. Lee

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  1. Diogo X. Lima
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  3. Hyang B. Lee
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  5. Carlos A. F. de Souza
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Contributions

RWB collected the samples of dung; CAFS performed the morphological study; RJVO and TRLC performed DNA extraction and amplification of ribosomal DNA; HBL performed the phylogenetic analyses; DXL, RWB and ALCMAS wrote the text; ALCMAS, and DXL identified the species.

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Correspondence to Diogo X. Lima.

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The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Statement for Collecting Samples

The authors certify that “Mucor merdophylus” was obtained from a dung sample collected by RWB (co-author of this manuscript) at the backyard of his family house located in Gávea, state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

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Lima, D.X., Barreto, R.W., Lee, H.B. et al. Novel Mucoralean Fungus From a Repugnant Substrate: Mucor merdophylus sp. nov., Isolated From Dog Excrement. Curr Microbiol 77, 2642–2649 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00284-020-02038-8

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