title: Penicillium simile sp. nov. revealed by morphological and phylogenetic analysis.
abstract: The morphology of three phenetically identical Penicillium isolates, collected from the bioaerosol in a restoration laboratory in Italy, displayed macro- and microscopic characteristics that were similar though not completely ascribable to Penicillium raistrickii. For this reason, a phylogenetic approach based on DNA sequencing analysis was performed to establish both the taxonomic status and the evolutionary relationships of these three peculiar isolates in relation to previously described species of the genus Penicillium. We used four nuclear loci (both rRNA and protein coding genes) that have previously proved useful for the molecular investigation of taxa belonging to the genus Penicillium at various evolutionary levels. The internal transcribed spacer region (ITS1-5.8S-ITS2), domains D1 and D2 of the 28S rDNA, a region of the tubulin beta chain gene (benA) and part of the calmodulin gene (cmd) were amplified by PCR and sequenced. Analysis of the rRNA genes and of the benA and cmd sequence data indicates the presence of three isogenic isolates belonging to a genetically distinct species of the genus Penicillium, here described and named Penicillium simile sp. nov. (ATCC MYA-4591(T)  = CBS 129191(T)). This novel species is phylogenetically different from P. raistrickii and other related species of the genus Penicillium (e.g. Penicillium scabrosum), from which it can be distinguished on the basis of morphological trait analysis.
authors: Department of Productive Plants and Interaction with the Environment (DIPIA), National Institute of Occupational Safety and Prevention (exISPESL-INAIL), Via Urbana, 167 - 00184 Rome, Italy.
authors: Domenico
authors: D
authors: Davolos
authors: Department of Productive Plants and Interaction with the Environment (DIPIA), National Institute of Occupational Safety and Prevention (exISPESL-INAIL), Via Urbana, 167 - 00184 Rome, Italy.
authors: Biancamaria
authors: B
authors: Pietrangeli
authors: Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro, 5 - 00185 Rome, Italy.
authors: Anna Maria
authors: AM
authors: Persiani
authors: Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro, 5 - 00185 Rome, Italy.
authors: Oriana
authors: O
authors: Maggi
mesh_terms: D000336:Aerosols / Q000032:analysis*; D000391:Air Microbiology; D002147:Calmodulin / Q000235:genetics; D003470:Culture Media; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000032:analysis; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer / Q000235:genetics; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D020459:Genes, rRNA; D007558:Italy; D007753:Laboratories; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016533:Mycological Typing Techniques; D010407:Penicillium / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012339:RNA, Ribosomal, 28S / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013045:Species Specificity; D014404:Tubulin / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D000336:Aerosols; D002147:Calmodulin; D003470:Culture Media; D004271:DNA, Fungal; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer; D012339:RNA, Ribosomal, 28S; D014404:Tubulin