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Novel fungal phyla and classes revealed by eDNA long reads

Novel fungal phyla and classes revealed by eDNA long reads
Maximum Likelihood SSU-5.8S-LSU phylogram indicating placement of novel lineages in the fungal kingdom as highlighted in a coloured shade and red font. Previously described taxonomic clades are collapsed. Credit: MycoKeys (2025). DOI:10.3897/mycokeys.124.161674

Recent advances in long-read sequencing techniques have produced large amounts of high-quality rRNA marker gene data about eukaryotic organisms, but many of these taxa have remained unknown at the highest taxonomic levels: phylum and kingdom. Now, via a thorough analysis of the EUKARYOME long-read database, an international team led by Prof. Leho Tedersoo (University of Tartu, Estonia) has discovered that a large proportion of the unknown eukaryotes belong to deep, hitherto undescribed fungal lineages.

By developing innovative approaches in and performing rigorous phylogenetic analyses, the researchers described 30 novel fungal lineages from the order to phylum levels, including the type species of these groups. They published their in MycoKeys.

Names of new taxa were developed and voted for by all co-authors, with the names referring to type locality using the native language stems (Amerindian, Sámi, Estonian) prevailing. The authors also proposed the taxonomic terms "nucleotype" and "legitype" to refer to holotype-derived DNA samples and DNA sequences, respectively, which under certain circumstances (e.g., when holotype is lost) could also be used as types.

The taxonomic approach developed by Tedersoo and colleagues provides a means of describing and communicating unseen, potentially uncultivable microeukaryotic taxa.

More information: Leho Tedersoo et al, Thirty novel fungal lineages: formal description based on environmental samples and DNA, MycoKeys (2025).

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Citation: Novel fungal phyla and classes revealed by eDNA long reads (2025, October 20) retrieved 21 October 2025 from /news/2025-10-fungal-phyla-classes-revealed-edna.html
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