RELATEDNESS OF PSEUDALLESCHERIA, SCEDOSPORIUM AND GRAPHIUM-PRO-PARTE BASED ON SSU RDNA SEQUENCES

Genetic relatedness of 10 strains of opportunistic human pathogenic fu ngi in the genera Pseudallescheria and Scedosporium and related fungi including Petriella setifera, Graphium tectonae and Ceratocystis fimbr iata, were tested by sequencing the entire SSU rDNA. From these molecu lar data, the imperfect genus Scedosporium can be divided in two, S. p rolificans being separable from the S. apiospermum complex. Nearest se xual relatives of S. prolificans seem to be in the microascalean genus Petriella. Strains of Ps. boydii and S. apiospermum, although differi ng by their previously known DNA/DNA reassociation values, were not se parable from each other once a 380 nucleotide long insertion had been removed from the sequence of the two S. apiospermum strains tested. Th e SSU rDNA of Ps. ellipsoidea is identical to that of Ps. boydii. Fung i which have been known to have Graphium anamorphs can be divided in a t least three groups, one of which is related to Petriella and include s Graphium tectonae.