Taxonomy, systematics, ecology, and evolutionary biology of the Gnomoniaceae (Diaporthales), with emphasis on gnomoniopsis and ophiognomonia
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Walker, Donald Matthew.
Taxonomy, systematics, ecology, and evolutionary biology of the Gnomoniaceae (Diaporthales), with emphasis on gnomoniopsis and ophiognomonia. Retrieved from
https://doi.org/doi:10.7282/T3K35SFNExport
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TitleTaxonomy, systematics, ecology, and evolutionary biology of the Gnomoniaceae (Diaporthales), with emphasis on gnomoniopsis and ophiognomonia
Date Created2012
Other Date2012-10 (degree)
Extentxx, 347 p. : ill.
DescriptionThe Gnomoniaceae (Diaporthales, Sordariomycetes, Ascomycota) are a family of perithecial ascomycetes that occur as endophytes, pathogens, or saprobes on growing and overwintered leaves and twigs of hardwood trees, shrubs, and herbaceous host plants. Many species of Gnomoniaceae cause serious diseases in agricultural and ornamental plants. Despite their economic importance, the biodiversity, evolutionary biology, ecology, and host plant relationships are largely unknown. The objectives of this study were to: 1) infer species level phylogenies of the genera Gnomoniopsis and Ophiognomonia; 2) design primers for newly identified single-copy protein-coding genes to be used as phylogenetic markers for species-level systematics in the Sordariomycetes; 3) integrate host association and environmental data with a phylogenetic analysis of Ophiognomonia to better understand speciation events in this genus. To achieve these objectives, herbarium and freshly collected specimens were compared using morphology, host association, and phylogenetic analyses of multiple molecular markers. Microscopic measurements of morphological characters such as ascospore size and septation were integrated with molecular approaches to define species of Gnomoniopsis and Ophiognomonia. Fungal genome sequences were mined for single-copy orthologous genes, primers designed, gene regions sequenced, and phylogenetic informativeness of each marker assessed. The performance of the newly identified markers was then compared to other markers commonly used in fungal phylogenetics. In addition, the program Spatial Evolutionary and Ecological Vicariance Analysis (SEEVA) was used to study patterns of host plant specificity and ecological vicariance using a multi-gene phylogeny of Ophiognomonia. This research resulted in the recircumscription of the genera Gnomoniopsis and Ophiognomonia in the Gnomoniaceae along with an account of each species in these genera. A total of 32 taxonomic novelties were defined including 26 new species and 6 new combinations. Primer sets for two newly identified markers were developed that should be useful for ascomycete systematists. Host specificity and environmental influences were hypothesized as mechanisms contributing to speciation patterns in Ophiognomonia. A visual and statistically solid understanding of evolutionary mechanisms influencing speciation events, host switches, and ecological divergence in the genus Ophiognomonia is presented and discussed. This a comprehensive report of the taxonomy, evolutionary biology, and ecology of the genus Ophiognomonia.
NotePh.D.
NoteIncludes bibliographical references
NoteIncludes vita
Noteby Donald Matthew Walker
Genretheses, ETD doctoral
Languageeng
CollectionGraduate School - New Brunswick Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Organization NameRutgers, The State University of New Jersey
RightsThe author owns the copyright to this work.
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