Neopyrenochaeta is a genus of coelomycetous fungi in the family Neopyrenochaetaceae, order Pleosporales, class Dothideomycetes, phylum Ascomycota. It is the only genus in its family.
Taxonomy and History
The genus was formally established in 2017 by Valenzuela-Lopez, Crous, Stchigel, Guarro, and Cano, based on multilocus phylogenetic analyses (using ITS, LSU, tub2, and rpb2 loci) that revealed a distinct, well-supported clade separate from the genus Pyrenochaeta and the family Cucurbitariaceae. The name Neopyrenochaeta refers to its morphological similarity to Pyrenochaeta, with the prefix "neo-" denoting a newly established taxon. The component "Pyrenochaeta" derives from the Greek pyrenos (pear-shaped) and chaeta (bristle), alluding to the pyriform conidiomata bearing setae.
The type species is Neopyrenochaeta acicola (Moug. & Lév.) Valenz.-Lopez, Crous, Stchigel, Guarro & Cano, originally described as Vermicularia acicola in 1848 from decaying leaves of Pinus sylvestris in France.
Morphology
Asexual morph: The genus is characterized by pale brown to brown, solitary, ostiolate pycnidial conidiomata with walls composed of cells of textura angularis. Conidiogenous cells are enteroblastic, phialidic or annellidic, ampulliform to lageniform. Conidia are aseptate, hyaline, smooth- and thin-walled, ovoid to subcylindrical.
Sexual morph: Documented in only a limited number of species (e.g., N. chiangraiensis, N. chromolaenae, N. triseptatispora). Pseudothecial ascomata are immersed or erumpent, globose, with unitunicate, clavate to cylindrical, 8-spored asci. Ascospores are hyaline to pale brown, fusiform to ellipsoid, often with a single septum.
Species
As of 2024, the genus comprises approximately 15–16 accepted species, including:
- Neopyrenochaeta acicola
- Neopyrenochaeta annellidica
- Neopyrenochaeta asexualis
- Neopyrenochaeta cercidis
- Neopyrenochaeta chiangraiensis
- Neopyrenochaeta chromolaenae
- Neopyrenochaeta fragariae
- Neopyrenochaeta glabra
- Neopyrenochaeta inflorescentiae
- Neopyrenochaeta maesuayensis
- Neopyrenochaeta shaoguanica
- Neopyrenochaeta submersa
- Neopyrenochaeta telephoni
- Neopyrenochaeta thailandica
- Neopyrenochaeta triseptatispora
Ecology and Distribution
Neopyrenochaeta species are primarily saprobic, decomposing organic matter in both terrestrial and aquatic environments. They are commonly found on decaying plant materials such as wood, leaves, and herbaceous stems. In aquatic habitats, they are frequently reported from freshwater ecosystems on submerged decaying wood and plant debris in streams and rivers.
Geographically, the genus has been documented in Europe (France, Spain), Asia (China, Thailand), and the Americas (United States, Brazil). The type species N. acicola was first described from the Vosges Mountains of France.
Significance
Most Neopyrenochaeta species are saprophytic, but some are associated with plant diseases. N. fragariae has been isolated from strawberry (Fragaria ananassa), and N. acicola is reported as pathogenic or saprobic on members of the Pinaceae family. No human infections have been documented for the genus. One animal infection has been reported: in 2023, N. submersa caused visceral mycosis in farmed rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss).
