title: Septoglomus altomontanum, a new arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus from mountainous and alpine areas in Andalucía (southern Spain).
abstract: A new arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungus was found in Sierra Nevada National Park of Andalucía (Southern Spain). It forms intraradical hyphae, vesicles and arbuscles, typical characteristics of Glomeromycetes. The spores are dark reddish brown to dark reddish black, 132-205 μm diam, and are formed on pigmented subtending hyphae whose pores are regularly closed by a thick septum at the spore base but without support of introverted wall thickening. Phylogenetic analyses on concatenate sequences of the partial SSU, ITS region and the partial LSU of the rDNA confirm the new species, described here as Septoglomus altomontanum, in a monophyletic clade next to S. africanum. An identification key to all Septoglomus species described is given. The new fungus can unequivocally be distinguished from all other Septoglomus species by the combination of spore size, colour and spore wall structure, and especially by the shape and colour of the subtending hyphae. Septoglomus altomontanum has so far been found only in soils with pH 5.9-6.7, located in mountainous and alpine altitudes (1800-3100 m asl) of Sierra Nevada which is well known for a high degree of plant endemism. While it is a frequent fungus in this area, it has so far not been found in lower altitudes in Andalucía.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Microbiología del Suelo y Sistemas Simbióticos, Estación Experimental del Zaidín, CSIC, Profesor Albareda 1, 18008 Granada, Spain.
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Palenzuela
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Microbiología del Suelo y Sistemas Simbióticos, Estación Experimental del Zaidín, CSIC, Profesor Albareda 1, 18008 Granada, Spain.
authors.forename: Concepción
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Azcón-Aguilar
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Microbiología del Suelo y Sistemas Simbióticos, Estación Experimental del Zaidín, CSIC, Profesor Albareda 1, 18008 Granada, Spain.
authors.forename: José-Miguel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Barea
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Micologia, CCB, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Av. da engenharia s/n, Cidade Universitária, 50740-600, Recife, PE, Brazill.
authors.forename: Gladstone Alves
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: da Silva
authors.affiliation: Federal Research Institute Agroscope Reckenholz-Tänikon ART, Organic Farming Systems, Reckenholzstrasse 191, CH-8046 Zürich, Switzerland;
authors.forename: Fritz
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Oehl
keywords: DNA phylogeny; Glomeromycota; biodiversity; conservation biology; systematic