title: A new anaerobic fungus (Oontomyces anksri gen. nov., sp. nov.) from the digestive tract of the Indian camel (Camelus dromedarius).
abstract: Two cultures of anaerobic fungi were isolated from the forestomach of an Indian camel (Camelus dromedarius). Phylogenetic analysis using both the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and large-subunit (LSU) regions of the rRNA locus demonstrated that these isolates were identical and formed a distinct clade within the anaerobic fungi (phylum Neocallimastigomycota). Morphological examination showed that these fungi formed monocentric thalli with filamentous rhizoids and uniflagellate zoospores, broadly similar to members of the genus Piromyces. However, distinctive morphological features were observed, notably the pinching of the cytoplasm in the sporangiophore and the formation of intercalary rhizoidal swellings. Since genetic analyses demonstrated this fungus was only distantly related to Piromyces spp. and closer to the polycentric Anaeromyces clade, we have assigned it to a new genus and species Oontomyces anksri gen. nov., sp. nov. Interrogation of the GenBank database identified several closely related ITS sequences, which were all environmental sequences obtained from camels, raising the possibility that this fungus may be specific to camelids.
authors.affiliation: Dairy Microbiology Division, ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal 132001, India. Electronic address: dagarsumit@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Sumit S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Dagar
authors.affiliation: Dairy Microbiology Division, ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal 132001, India. Electronic address: sanjayvrm@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Sanjay
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences, Cledwyn Building, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth SY23 3DD, Wales UK. Electronic address: gwg@aber.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Gareth W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Griffith
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences, Cledwyn Building, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth SY23 3DD, Wales UK. Electronic address: joanee2002@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Joan E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Edwards
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences, Cledwyn Building, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth SY23 3DD, Wales UK. Electronic address: toneocallaghan@hotmail.co.uk.
authors.forename: Tony M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Callaghan
authors.affiliation: Dairy Microbiology Division, ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal 132001, India. Electronic address: rsndri@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Rameshwar
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.affiliation: ICAR-National Research Centre on Camel, Bikaner 334001, India. Electronic address: aknagpal@scientist.com.
authors.forename: Ashok K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Nagpal
authors.affiliation: Dairy Microbiology Division, ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal 132001, India. Electronic address: akpuniya@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Anil K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Puniya
mesh_terms: D000693:Anaerobiosis; D000818:Animals; D002162:Camelus / Q000382:microbiology*; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000382:microbiology*; D008853:Microscopy; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D020085:Neocallimastigales / Q000145:classification* / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D010802:Phylogeny; D012335:RNA, Ribosomal / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D004271:DNA, Fungal; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer; D012335:RNA, Ribosomal; C065096:RNA, ribosomal, 26S
keywords: Forestomach; Fungal taxonomy; Host specificity; Neocallimastigomycota; Rumen fungi