title: Multi-locus phylogeny of Pleosporales: a taxonomic, ecological and evolutionary re-evaluation.
abstract: Five loci, nucSSU, nucLSU rDNA, TEF1, RPB1 and RPB2, are used for analysing 129 pleosporalean taxa representing 59 genera and 15 families in the current classification of Pleosporales. The suborder Pleosporineae is emended to include four families, viz.Didymellaceae, Leptosphaeriaceae, Phaeosphaeriaceae and Pleosporaceae. In addition, two new families are introduced, i.e. Amniculicolaceae and Lentitheciaceae. Pleomassariaceae is treated as a synonym of Melanommataceae, and new circumscriptions of Lophiostomataceaes. str., Massarinaceae and Lophiotrema are proposed. Familial positions of Entodesmium and Setomelanomma in Phaeosphaeriaceae, Neophaeosphaeria in Leptosphaeriaceae, Leptosphaerulina, Macroventuria and Platychora in Didymellaceae, Pleomassaria in Melanommataceae and Bimuria, Didymocrea, Karstenula and Paraphaeosphaeria in Montagnulaceae are clarified. Both ecological and morphological characters show varying degrees of phylogenetic significance. Pleosporales is most likely derived from a saprobic ancestor with fissitunicate asci containing conspicuous ocular chambers and apical rings. Nutritional shifts in Pleosporales likely occured from saprotrophic to hemibiotrophic or biotrophic.
authors.affiliation: Division of Microbiology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Schoch
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fournier
authors.forename: P W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Crous
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: de Gruyter
authors.forename: J H C
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Woudenberg
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hirayama
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: S B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Pointing
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Spatafora
authors.forename: K D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Hyde