In silico search reveals the association of lichens with black yeast-like fungi in the order Chaetothyriales
Author(s)
Costa, Flavia de Fatima
Lustosa, Bruno Paulo Rodrigues
Perico, Camila Pereira
Belmonte-Lopes, Ricardo
Carvalho, João Lucas Vitório Ribeiro
Date Issued
October 2025
Type
article
Volume
129
Issue
6
ISSN
1878-6146
Journal
Abstract
Lichens exemplify a unique symbiotic relationship between fungi and algae or cyanobacteria, where fungi
(mycobionts) provide structural support, while algae or cyanobacteria (photobionts) provide nutrients. Recent
discoveries in the order Chaetothyriales have led to the description of several lichenicolous species, underscoring
an intricate relationship of some black yeast-like fungi with lichens. The present study aims to investigate public
metagenomic data of lichens available in the SRA database, covering a total of 2888 samples. The analysis
incorporated 122 molecular marker sequences (barcodes and padlock probes) previously documented in the
literature for species classified within Chaetothyriales. Additionally, 11 novel barcodes for species recently
identified in lichens of the genera Cladophialophora and Paracladophialophora are described. The selected metagenomes were then compared with molecular marker sequences using local BLASTn (v2.6.0+), considering only
alignments with a coverage cut-off and 100 % identity (perfect match). Reads from each sample were retrieved
from the SRA as a multifasta file and analyzed with the SWeeP method for vector-based, alignment-free sequence
analysis. The analysis identified fungi that are known as environmental inhabitants and, occasionally, opportunistic pathogens of vertebrates, including species in the genera Cladophialophora, Cyphellophora, and Exophiala.
These species were distributed across 11 BioProjects from various locations around the world. The findings of this
study corroborate extant knowledge concerning fungal colonization in diverse extremophilic environments,
including deserts, tundra, and rocky surfaces.
Subjects
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