title: Xerochrysium gen. nov. and Bettsia, genera encompassing xerophilic species of Chrysosporium.
abstract: On the basis of a study of ITS sequences, Vidal et al. (Rev. Iber. Micol. 17: 22, 2000) recommended that the genus Chrysosporium be restricted to species belonging to Onygenales. Using nrLSU genes, we studied the majority of clades examined by Vidal et al. and showed that currently accepted species in Chrysosporium phylogenetically belong in six clades in three orders. Surprisingly, the xerophilic species of Chrysosporium, long thought to be a single grouping away from the majority of Chrysosporium species, occupy two clades, one in Leotiales, the other in Eurotiales. Species accepted in Leotiales are related to the sexual genus Bettsia. One is the type species B. alvei, and related asexual strains classified as C. farinicola, the second is C. fastidium transferred to Bettsia as B. fastidia. Species in the Eurotiales are transferred to Xerochrysium gen. nov., where the accepted species are X. xerophilum and X. dermatitidis, the correct name for C. inops on transfer to Xerochrysium. All accepted species are extreme xerophiles, found in dried and concentrated foods.
authors.affiliation: CSIRO Animal, Food and Health Sciences, P.O. Box 52, North Ryde, NSW 1670, Australia;
authors.forename: John I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Pitt
authors.affiliation: Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala BioCenter, Dept of Microbiology, Box 7025, Uppsala 75007, Sweden ; Uppsala University, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Box 582, 75123 Uppsala.
authors.forename: Henrik
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lantz
authors.affiliation: Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala BioCenter, Dept of Microbiology, Box 7025, Uppsala 75007, Sweden ; Uppsala University, Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Rudbecklaboratoriet, 75185 Uppsala.
authors.forename: Olga Vinnere
authors.initials: OV
authors.lastname: Pettersson
authors.affiliation: Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala BioCenter, Dept of Microbiology, Box 7025, Uppsala 75007, Sweden.
authors.forename: Su-Lin L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Leong
keywords: Eurotiales; Leotiales; Onygenales; food spoilage; molecular systematics; taxonomy