Multigene phylogeny of seven wood-inhabiting fungal orders in Basidiomycota, and proposal of a new genus and thirteen new species

The wood-inhabiting fungal orders play a central role in understanding the diversity in Basidiomycota, and their significance in the recycling of organic matter and nutrient cycling. Typically they are categorized as the white-rot and brown-rot fungi. In the present study, woodinhabiting fungi were collected from various locations in Yunnan Province, China. These collections were further identified using comprehensive analysis of combined morphological characters and phylogenetic analyses encompassed the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions, the large subunit nuclear ribosomal RNA gene (nLSU), small subunit mitochondrial rRNA gene sequences (mtSSU), translation elongation factor 1-α gene (tef1-α), RNA polymerase II largest subunit (rpb1), and the second subunit of RNA polymerase II (rpb2). Based on these, this study presents a new genus, Gracilihypha, and thirteen new species from seven orders and eight families as Coniophoropsis sinensis, Gloeopeniophorella bambusicola, Gloiothele yunnanensis, Gracilihypha abeliae, Hyphoderma asianum, H. qujingense, Hyphodontia daweishanensis, Kneiffiella qujingensis, Merismodes wumengshanensis, M. yunnanensis, Peniophora fissurata, Punctulariopsis asiana, and Sertulicium yunnanense. Furthermore, this multi-locus approach allowed for a robust assessment of the evolutionary relationships within the fungal community. To enhance accessibility and understanding, herein we include illustrated descriptions of the newly proposed taxa and comprehensive notes on the genera. Our study will provide new insight into the diversity of wood-inhabiting fungi while contributing new species to basidiomycete.