Phylogeny of Ptychostomum (Bryaceae,Musci) inferred from sequences of nuclear ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and chloroplast rps4

The phylogeny of Ptychostomum was first spacer （ITS） region of the nuclear ribosomal （nr） DNA DNA rps4 sequences. Maximum parsimony, maximum undertaken based on analysis of the internal transcribed and by combining data from nrDNA ITS and chloroplast likelihood, and Bayesian analyses all support the conclusion that the reinstated genus Ptychostomum is not monophyletic. Ptychostomum funkii （Schwagr.） J. R. Spence （≡ Bryum funkii Schwaigr.） is placed within a clade containing the type species of Bryum, B. argenteum Hedw. The remaining members of Ptychostomum investigated in the present study constitute another well-supported clade. The results are congruent with previous molecular analyses. On the basis of phylogenetic evidence, we agree with transferring B. amblyodon Mull. Hal. （≡ B. inclinatum （Brid.） Turton≡ Bryum archangelicum Bruch ＆ Schimp.）, Bryum lonchocaulon Mull. Hal., Bryum pallescens Schleich. ex Schwaigr., and Bryum pallens Sw. to Ptychostomum.

The homology analysis of internal transcribed spacer sequence of ribosomal DNA in common dermatophytes

In order to analyze the sequences of the internal transcribed spacer （ITS） including the 5.8 S ribosomal DNA （rDNA） of common dermatophytes, so as to obtain a rapid and accurate method to identify the species of dermatophytes and to establish the phylogenetic tree of these species to understand their relationship, 16 strains of dermatophytes were collected and preliminarily identified by morphological characteristics. General primers for fungi ITS1 and ITS4 were used to amplify the ITS rDNA of each strains with PCR. The PCR products after purification were sequenced directly and were analyzed through internet. In the results, 11 strains were identified by means of morphological features, among which 5 strains were Trichophyton, 5 strains were Microsporum and 1 was Epidermophytoa, which was consistent with the results by molecular biology. In the 5 unidentifiable strains, 1 strain was proved to be Chrysosporium by molecular biology. These strains studied could be divided into 3 different classes as indicated in the analysis of the phylogenetic tree of the sequences in ITS, which were quite different from those of morphological classification. It is evident from the above observations that the molecular method of analysis on the ITS sequences is a rapid, highly sensitive and accurate approach for the detection of dematophyte species, however, it still exhibits some limitations needing the supplementation with morphological identification.

A preliminary analysis of phylogenetic relationships of Arundinaria and related genera based on nucleotide sequences of nrDNA （ITS region） and cpDNA （trnL-F intergenic spacer）

Phylogenetic relationships of Arundinaria and related genera (Pleioblastus, Pseudosasa, Oligostachyum, Bashania, Clavinodum, etc.) were assessed by analyzing the sequences of the nrDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and the cpDNA trnL-F intergenic spacer (IGS). Comparison with trnL-F IGS sequence, the ITS region provided the higher number of parsimony informative characters, and the interspecific variation of the ITS sequence was higher than that of the trnL-F IGS sequence.The tree obtained by combining both sets of data showed that the species sampled in Arundinaria and the related genera were monophyletic and divided into two clades. The relationships and positioning of all the taxa surveryed (including A. oleosa, A. hsienchuensis, A. chino, A. amara, A. yixingensis, A. amabilis, A. fortunei, A. pygmaea, A. gramineus, A. fargesii, A. faberi, A. hupehense, Pseudosasa japonica cv. Tsutsumiana, P. japonica and Brachystachyum densiflorum) were also discussed. The results from the sequences were broadly consistent with morphological characters, appearing all these taxa sampled belong to the genus of Arundinaria. The topologies of the trees generated from individual data and the combined data were similar.

Comparison of fungal community composition within different intestinal segments of tilapia and bighead carp

Although intestinal fungi play important roles in host health and disease,the composition and diversity of fungal communities remain poorly reported in fish.In this study,fungi in the fore-,mid-,and hindintestine of tilapia(Oreochromis mossambicus)and bighead carp(Aristichthys nobilis)from Hongchaojiang Reservoir in Guangxi,China were investigated by ITS sequencing.Based on this,we obtained 1763478 high-quality tags,which clustered into 1089 operational taxonomic units(OTUs).In total,404 OTUs were annotated,of which 310,68,and 26 belonged to Ascomycota,Basidiomycota,and other,respectively.Results show significant differences in the community composition of intestinal fungi between tilapia and bighead carp but not within their different intestinal segments.Furthermore,154 of the 404 annotated OTUs were considered reliable and were classified into three trophic modes and nine guilds.The three trophic modes consisted of 108 OTUs of saprotrophic fungi,41 OTUs of pathotrophic fungi,and five OTUs of symbiotrophic fungi.The top three most abundant OTUs overall(i.e.,Otu000002,Scopulariopsis acremonium;Otu000018,Alternaria palandui;Otu000034,Aureobasidium pullulans)showed lower abundance in the hind-intestinal segments of bighead carp,suggesting uneven distribution of these fungi in this species.In addition,saprotrophic and pathotrophic fungi were markedly decreased in the hindintestine.It is indicated that the fungal community was not only related to host species specificity but also to the respective physiological functions of different intestinal segments.These findings provide valuable information on the composition,structure,and potential function of the intestinal fungi community associated with different intestinal segments in tilapia and bighead carp under natural conditions,thus highlighting the importance of fungi as an integral part of the inte stinal microbiota in maintaining host health.