title: Ochratoxin production and taxonomy of the yellow aspergilli (Aspergillus section Circumdati).
abstract: Aspergillus section Circumdati or the Aspergillus ochraceus group, includes species with rough walled stipes, biseriate conidial heads, yellow to ochre conidia and sclerotia that do not turn black. Several species are able to produce mycotoxins including ochratoxins, penicillic acids, and xanthomegnins. Some species also produce drug lead candidates such as the notoamides. A polyphasic approach was applied using morphological characters, extrolite data and partial calmodulin, β-tubulin and ITS sequences to examine the evolutionary relationships within this section. Based on this approach the section Circumdati is revised and 27 species are accepted, introducing seven new species: A. occultus, A. pallidofulvus, A. pulvericola, A. salwaensis, A. sesamicola, A. subramanianii and A. westlandensis. In addition we correctly apply the name A. fresenii (≡ A. sulphureus (nom. illeg.)). A guide for the identification of these 27 species is provided. These new species can be distinguished from others based on morphological characters, sequence data and extrolite profiles. The previously described A. onikii and A. petrakii were found to be conspecific with A. ochraceus, whilst A. flocculosus is tentatively synonymised with A. ochraceopetaliformis, despite extrolite differences between the two species. Based on the extrolite data, 13 species of section Circumdati produce large amounts of ochratoxin A: A. affinis, A. cretensis, A. fresenii, A. muricatus, A. occultus, A. ochraceopetaliformis (A. flocculosus), A. ochraceus, A. pseudoelegans, A. pulvericola, A. roseoglobulosus, A. sclerotiorum, A. steynii and A. westerdijkiae. Seven additional species produce ochratoxin A inconsistently and/or in trace amounts: A. melleus, A. ostianus, A. persii, A. salwaensis, A. sesamicola, A. subramanianii and A. westlandensis. The most important species regarding potential ochratoxin A contamination in agricultural products are A. ochraceus, A. steynii and A. westerdijkiae.
authors.affiliation: CBS-KNAW Fungal Biodiversity Centre, Uppsalalaan 8, NL-3584 CT Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Visagie
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science and Informatics, University of Szeged, H-6726 Szeged, Közép fasor 52, Hungary.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Varga
authors.affiliation: CBS-KNAW Fungal Biodiversity Centre, Uppsalalaan 8, NL-3584 CT Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Houbraken
authors.affiliation: CBS-KNAW Fungal Biodiversity Centre, Uppsalalaan 8, NL-3584 CT Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Meijer
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science and Informatics, University of Szeged, H-6726 Szeged, Közép fasor 52, Hungary.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kocsubé
authors.affiliation: CBS-KNAW Fungal Biodiversity Centre, Uppsalalaan 8, NL-3584 CT Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yilmaz
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology Center, Ministry of Environment, Doha, Qatar.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fotedar
authors.affiliation: Biodiversity (Mycology), Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Ottawa, ON K1A0C6, Canada.
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Seifert
authors.affiliation: Department of Systems Biology, Building 221, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark.
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Frisvad
authors.affiliation: CBS-KNAW Fungal Biodiversity Centre, Uppsalalaan 8, NL-3584 CT Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Samson
keywords: Ascomycetes; Eurotiales; Food spoilage; Indoor environment; Mycotoxin