An Overview of Molecular Phylogeny of Onygenales
Members of the order Onygenales can be found on diverse sources. Before the molecular techniques were introduced in Mycology, identification and classification of the species were based on mainly morphological features. Molecular techniques provided new aspects and species were described in the Ajellomycetaceae, Arachnomycetaceae, Arthrodermataceae, Ascospheraceae, Eramascaceae, Gymnoascaceae, Myxotrichaceae, Nannizziopsidaceae, Onygenaceae, Spiromastigaceae, and as Incerta cedis in the order. However, using molecular techniques or morphological characteristics alone is not adequate to classify and described species and it causes nomenclatural and taxonomic problems. Additionally, while the number of newly-described species is increasing, the relationship between ecological behavior and taxonomy of the species is underestimated. In the current study, multilocus phylogeny using TUB, RPB, TEF3, ITS, and LSU loci compared with ecology of the species. ITS and LSU loci, and Bayesian inference analyses were chosen to maintain the study. Taxonomic resolution and habitat choice of the families Ajellomycetaceae, Arthrodermataceae, Ascospheraceae, and Nannizziopsidaceae were well defined. Members of Gymnoascaceae, Onygenaceae and Spiromastigaceae did not revealed consistent habitat preference however, a certain tendency was found among the clades in the families. A phylogeny based on LSU loci could be useful to establish a phylogenetic relationship between the families in Onygenales. Number and diversity of the species and methods used in the analyses affect the results. The strict differentiation between phylogenetically close but ecologically very different families might be due to inadequate sampling or unknown species which could be a member of a new family between these two families.