title: Isolation and characterization of a new fungal genus and species, Aphanoascella galapagosensis, from carapace keratitis of a Galapagos tortoise (Chelonoidis nigra microphyes).
abstract: A new fungal genus and species, Aphanoascella galapagosensis, recovered from carapace keratitis in a Galapagos tortoise residing in a south Texas zoological collection, is characterized and described. The presence of a pale peridium composed of textura epidermoidea surrounded by scarce Hülle cell-like chlamydospores, and the characteristic reticulate ascospores with an equatorial rim separates it from other genera within the Onygenales. The phylogenetic tree inferred from the analysis of D1/D2 sequences demonstrates that this fungus represents a new lineage within that order. As D1/D2 and ITS sequence data also shows a further separation of Aphanoascus spp. into two monophyletic groups, we propose to retain the generic name Keratinophyton for species whose ascospores are pitted and display a conspicuous equatorial rim, and thereby propose new combinations in this genus for four Aphanoascus species.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA. suttond@uthscsa.edu
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Sutton
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Marín
authors.forename: E H
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: B L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Wickes
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: García
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Swinford
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: de Maar
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Guarro
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D007634:Keratitis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D020036:Onygenales / Q000145:classification* / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010802:Phylogeny; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013045:Species Specificity; D013172:Spores, Fungal; D013781:Texas; D014426:Turtles / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D004271:DNA, Fungal; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer