| 1. |
- Gilbert Temu, Stella, et al.
(författare)
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Crustose Calicioid Lichens and Fungi in Mountain Cloud Forests of Tanzania
- 2019
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Ingår i: Microorganisms. - : MDPI AG. - 2076-2607. ; 7:11
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A total of 26 crustose calicioid lichens and fungi were found in Tanzania. Most of them belong to a group of species with wide distributions in cool areas of both hemispheres and occasional occurrence in high mountains at low latitudes. In Tanzania calicioids mainly occur in the middle and upper forest zones and their niches are found on the bark of old trees and on lignum, most of them restricted to mountain cloud forests. Calicioids are rare and often red-listed, and are also bioindicators of long forest continuity. Consequently, they form an important biota in mountain cloud forests and deserve attention in the context of preserving biodiversity and developing conservation policies. One new species, Chaenothecopsis kilimanjaroensis, is described. Chaenotheca hispidula and Pyrgillus cambodiensis are reported as new to Africa and Calicium lenticulare and Chaenothecopsis debilis are reported as new to Tanzania.
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| 2. |
- Gilbert Temu, Stella, 1987-
(författare)
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Lichens in Mountain Rainforests of Tanzania : Studies of Usnea and Calicioids
- 2020
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Lichens occur in various habitats. They often have narrow niches and are sensitive to environmental changes leading to their use as bioindicators of environmental disturbances and conditions; air and heavy metal pollution, agricultural toxins, assessing forest continuity and drought tolerance. Lichenological studies in Africa, particularly in Tanzania, have been scarce, and those available have been mainly based on morphology and chemistry data. The aim of my doctorate was to investigate lichens, in particular Usnea and calicioid lichens in mountain rain forests in Tanzania, using both traditional and molecular approaches.Paper I and II explored Usnea subgenus Eumitria. In paper I, molecular, morphological and chemical methods were utilized. A phylogeny of Eumitria from Tanzania based on a four-markers data set supported monophyly of Eumitria, where sixty-two new sequences were reported. In paper II additional specimens of the Usnea pectinata aggregate from Tanzania and São Tomé and Príncipe were studied, and forty-two specimens were examined by an integrative approach (molecular, morphological, chemical data). The U. pectinata aggregate was monophyletic, containing several subclades, some characterized morphologically and chemically. Paper III and IV focused on calicioids. Paper III summed up earlier information on Tanzanian calicioids along with new discoveries (twenty-six species), with notes on their habitats and distributions. Chaenothecopsis kilimanjaroensis was described as new, Chaenotheca hispidula and Pyrgillus cambodiensis new to Africa: Calicium lenticulare and Chaenothecopsis debilis new to Tanzania. In paper IV, Coniocybe was revised and emended to include along with its type C. furfuracea, also C. brachypoda and C. confusa. A three marker phylogeny was used to infer its phylogenetic position and Coniocybe eufuracea was described as new.This thesis contributes to the knowledge of the lichens in Tanzania and Africa at large by building capacity in lichenology and its applications for future research. It provided integrated data for Usnea species from Africa, adding to the knowledge of this difficult group (only two sequences of Usnea from Africa have previously been published). It provided new information on calicioid lichens in Tanzania and by uncovering a rich diversity in both of the groups studied provided a foundation for further investigations of lichen biodiversity.
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| 3. |
- Hussein, Juma, 1986-, et al.
(författare)
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Chemical composition of the medicinal mushroom Kusaghiporia usambarensis
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Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The mushroom Kusaghiporia usambarensis was recently described as a new species and the single member of a new genus. It appears endemic to Tanzania. The mushroom forms large, conspicuous fruiting bodies with an unusually high radial growth rate and an observed ability to attract insects. The mushroom is used by the local community both for food and in traditional medicine. In order to gain insight into both basic biology and the traditional use of this mushroom, we here report the first analyses of its chemical composition. A dichloromethane extract was prepared from the dried fruiting body and analysed by nuclear magnetic resonance and gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. This extract of medium polar chemical constituents of Kusaghiporia usambarensis showed a high content of phenolic compounds and esters. The main elements were phenols, which account for ~22%, and esters ~20 %). These two groups of compounds may explain formerly reported antioxidant activity and traditional medicinal use of the mushroom. Revealing the chemistry also shed light on K. usambarensi as a sought-after delicacy: presence of 1-octen-3-one, octanal, 3-octen-2-one contribute to its fruity, cheesy and chicken flavour.
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| 4. |
- Hussein, Juma, 1986-, et al.
(författare)
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Cysteine-rich peptide from the gigantic edible mushroom Kusaghiporia usambarensis (Laetiporaceae)
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Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Cysteine-rich peptides are produced by various organisms across all kingdoms and have triggered an interest in isolation of molecules for novel drug development. In this study, we report a novel cysteine-rich peptide, kusaghitide, isolated from the gigantic medicinal mushroom Kusaghiporia usambarensis. It is highly expressed in the K. usambarensis transcriptome and it is the most abundant compound in the methanol-water extract. The 54 amino acid residue long peptide was isolated through aqueous methanol 50% and a sample was reduced, alkylated and cleaved enzymatically. De novo sequencing was done by LC-MS/MS and obtained sequences were used for mining the transcriptome to search for the complete gene. The peptide was recombinantly expressed in One Shot BL21 Star Escherichia coli using lysogenic broth and minimal media. Its 3D NMR structure was determined using 2D and 3D NMR. Three hypothetical protein sequences similar to kusaghitide originate from Laetiporus sulphureus, Wolfiporia cocos and Sparassis crispa with per cent similarity of 76% and 58% and 53% respectively and were found by BLAST search in the NCBI database. Kusaghitide did not inhibit the growth of either Escherichia coli or Staphylococcus aureus. This is first report of a peptide from K. usambarensis in Laetiporaceae.
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| 5. |
- Hussein, Juma Mahmud, 1986-
(författare)
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Polyporoid fungi of Tanzania : Taxonomy, transcriptomics and biochemical analyses of Kusaghiporia usambarensis and Piptoporellus baudonii
- 2020
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Polyporoid fungi refers to basidiomycetes with fruiting bodies with the hymenium located to the inner surfaces of pores or narrow tubes. The majority of polyporoids belongs to Polyporales. Most Polyporales are saprobes, but some are plant pathogens. The overall aim of this thesis was to study the taxonomy, systematics and chemistry of the two species Kusaghiporia usambarensis (saprobic) and Piptoporellus baudonii (a plant pathogen) collected from Tanzania, using morphological and molecular approaches, combined with transcriptomics and pharmacognostic investigations.The main contribution of this thesis includes the description a new genus with the new species K. usambarensis from the Usambara Mountains, Tanzania; investigation of the chemical composition of volatile compounds from this medicinal mushroom; isolation and structure determination of a novel and most abundant peptide in K. usambarensis, and further to elucidate the phylogenetic position of Piptoporellus baudonii (formerly known as Laetiporus baudonii) by using a four molecular markers dataset.Paper I was conducted applying a classical taxonomic approach, including both morphological and phylogenetic analyses, to describe a new genus and species K. usambarensis. Paper II, investigated volatiles and volatile derivatives in dichloromethane extracts of K. usambarensis analysed by GC-MS and NMR spectroscopy. The main elements were phenols, and esters, compounds that may explain the formerly reported antioxidant activity and traditional medicinal use of the mushroom. In paper III, screening of peptides in K. usambarensis revealed a novel cysteine-rich peptide, highly expressed at gene level and the most abundant compound in the fruiting body. Combined LC-MS and transcriptome analyses were used to determine the peptide sequence, and subsequently NMR spectroscopy to determine the 3D structure of the novel peptide, kusaghitide. In paper IV molecular techniques were used to elucidate the phylogenetic position of the parasitic Laetiporus baudonii. Phylogenetic analyses of combined 5.8S, nrLSU, nrSSU, and TEF1 gene sequences placed L. baudonii in the genus Piptoporellus, hence the new combination Piptoporellus baudonii was proposed. This thesis has contributed to build capacity in the fields of mycology, systematics and pharmacognosy in order to reinforce ecological knowledge and ethnopharmaceutical research for future drug discovery in Tanzania and Africa at large.
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| 6. |
- Hussein, Juma, 1986-, et al.
(författare)
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Phylogenetic position and taxonomy of Kusaghiporia usambarensis gen. et sp. nov. (Polyporales)
- 2018
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Ingår i: Mycology. - : Taylor & Francis. - 2150-1203 .- 2150-1211.
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A large polyporoid mushroom from the West Usambara Mountains in North-eastern Tanzania produces dark brown, up to 60-cm large fruiting bodies that at maturity may weigh more than 10 kg. It has a high rate of mycelial growth and regeneration and was found growing on both dry and green leaves of shrubs; attached to the base of living trees, and it was also observed to degrade dead snakes and insects accidentally coming into contact with it. Phylogenetic analyses based on individual and concatenated data sets of nrLSU, nrSSU and the RPB2 and TEF1 genes showed it, together with Laetiporus, Phaeolus, Pycnoporellus and Wolfiporia, to form a monophyletic group in Polyporales. Based on morphological features and molecular data, it is described as Kusaghiporia usambarensis.
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| 7. |
- Temu, Stella, et al.
(författare)
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Coniocybe Ach., Revision of a Genus of Calicioid Lichens
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Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Coniocybe Ach. is revised on the basis of molecular studies and morphological features. Coniocybe is separate from other species of Chaenotheca s. lat. A total of 51 new sequences (13 ITS, 24 nuLSU and 14 RPB1) for Chaenotheca s. lat. were produced. Three markers (ITS, nuLSU and RPB1) were used to infer its phylogenetic position, and it formed a monophyletic clade in Chaenotheca s. lat. The genus was emended and found to include, apart for its type C. furfuracea, also C. brachypoda and C. confusa along with a newly described species, C. eufuracea.
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| 8. |
- Temu, Stella G., et al.
(författare)
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Coniocybe Ach. revisited
- 2024
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Ingår i: Journal of Fungi. - : MDPI. - 2309-608X. ; 10:5
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Calicioids form a research field that has encompassed ascomycetous fungi with stalked ascomata similar to those of the lichen genus Calicium. Early generic circumscriptions of calicioid lichens and fungi were mainly based on morphological and secondary chemistry information. After the introduction of molecular data, taxonomy in the group has been reconsidered. Here, based on a broad geographical sampling, Coniocybe Ach. was revised using molecular and morphological features. Three loci (ITS, LSU and rpb1) were compared to infer its phylogenetic position, and a total of 52 new sequences (14 ITS, 24 LSU and 14 rpb1) were produced. Apart from its type C. furfuracea, Coniocybe was revised and emended to also include C. brachypoda and C. confusa. In addition, a new species, Coniocybe eufuracea, was described, and a key to the species of Coniocybe was provided.
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| 9. |
- Temu, Stella G., et al.
(författare)
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Molecular, morphological and chemical variation of the Usnea pectinata aggregate from Tanzania, São Tomé and Príncipe
- 2022
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Ingår i: The Lichenologist. - : Cambridge University Press. - 0024-2829 .- 1096-1135. ; 54:5, s. 291-298
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This study investigated the molecular, chemical and morphological variation in the Usnea pectinata aggregate using 42 specimens, 22 from Tanzania and 20 from São Tomé and Príncipe. A total of 31 sequences (13 ITS, 13 nuLSU and 5 RPB1) were generated. The results are presented in two phylogenies: first a three-markers ‘backbone’ phylogeny for the U. pectinata aggregate, where six distinct, strongly supported subclades indicate considerable genetic variation in the dataset; and second, an ITS phylogeny with 47 terminals along with a mapping of morphological and chemistry data. Several well-supported monophyletic clades were recovered in both phylogenies and these may well represent separate species in the complex referred to here as the U. pectinata aggregate. Three morphotypes characterized by axis pigmentation and four by branch shape were noted. Six chemotypes were observed.
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| 10. |
- Temu, Stella, et al.
(författare)
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Phylogeny of the subgenus Eumitria in Tanzania
- 2019
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Ingår i: Mycology. - : Informa UK Limited. - 2150-1203 .- 2150-1211. ; 10:4, s. 250-260
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Several Usnea species in subgenus Eumitria (Parmeliaceae, lichenized Ascomycota) have been described from East Africa in the past decades. These have been based on morphology and chemistry data while molecular studies remain very limited. In this paper we are for the first time publishing phylogenetic analyses along with morphological and chemical data for Eumitria. A total of 62 new sequences of Eumitria (26 ITS, 20 nuLSU, 6 MCM7, 10 RPB1) were generated in this study. nuLSU, MCM7 and RPB1 sequences are here for the first time reported for U. baileyi. A phylogeny of subgenus Eumitria from Tanzania based on Bayesian and maximum likelihood analyses of a concatenated four-loci data set is presented, confirming the monophyly of Eumitria. Further, secondary chemistry and variation in characters, such as the pigmentation of the central axis and branch shape were investigated.
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