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Fungal Diversity in Europe, 3rd Edition
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Fungal Diversity in Europe, 3rd Edition

A special issue of Journal of Fungi (ISSN 2309-608X). This special issue belongs to the section "Fungal Evolution, Biodiversity and Systematics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2025 | Viewed by 2341

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Giuseppe Venturella

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Agricultural, Food and Forest Sciences, University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, Palermo, Italy
Interests: fungal and plant taxonomy; biodiversity; medicinal mushrooms; forest and urban diversity
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues, 

Since the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Rio de Janeiro (1992), fungi have become increasingly important in our daily lives. Although 30 years have passed since the first national and regional checklists and redlists were published, knowledge about fungi is still fragmented. In addition, there is a clear knowledge gap between Northern European and Mediterranean countries as well as North African countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea. This Special Issue aims to produce data on the distribution and ecology of fungi and on conservation strategies in order to provide an up-to-date picture not only to researchers but also to ordinary citizens who are increasingly involved in safeguarding ecosystems and biodiversity.

Prof. Giuseppe Venturella
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Fungi is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • fungi checklists
  • Europe
  • diversity
  • ecology
  • conservation

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 2397 KiB  
Article
Airborne Fungal Spore Diversity Assessment Using Culture-Dependent and Metabarcoding Approaches in Bat-Inhabited Natural and Anthropogenic Roosts in Portugal
by Jaqueline T. Bento, Guilherme Moreira, Eugénia Pinto, Priscilla Gomes da Silva, Hugo Rebelo, Joana Mourão, Sofia I. V. Sousa and João R. Mesquita
J. Fungi 2025, 11(5), 360; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof11050360 - 6 May 2025
Viewed by 285
Abstract
Cave environments represent extreme and underexplored ecosystems wherein fungi play a crucial role in nutrient cycling and ecological dynamics. This study provides the first comprehensive assessment of fungal diversity in air samples from caves across Portugal, with six samples from five locations being [...] Read more.
Cave environments represent extreme and underexplored ecosystems wherein fungi play a crucial role in nutrient cycling and ecological dynamics. This study provides the first comprehensive assessment of fungal diversity in air samples from caves across Portugal, with six samples from five locations being assessed through culture-dependent and metabarcoding approaches. From the five bat roosts studied, eleven morphologically distinct fungal colonies were isolated, with genera such as Aspergillus, Penicillium, and Chaetomium identified. Concurrently, Oxford Nanopore sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of fungal rDNA revealed 286 genera, with Aspergillus, Candida, and Calyptella dominating across the sites. Diversity indices and community composition analyses, including Principal Coordinate Analysis (PCoA) and hierarchical clustering, highlighted distinct fungal profiles influenced by site-specific environmental factors and human activity. The data underscores the dual role of fungi in bat roosts as essential decomposers, emphasizing their adaptability to oligotrophic conditions. These findings advance our understanding of subterranean fungal ecology and emphasize the need for targeted conservation efforts to protect cave ecosystems from anthropogenic impacts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fungal Diversity in Europe, 3rd Edition)
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18 pages, 4585 KiB  
Article
Associations Between Indoor Fungal Community Structures and Environmental Factors: Insights from the Evidence-Driven Indoor Air-Quality Improvement Study
by Iva Šunić, Dubravka Havaš Auguštin, Jelena Šarac, Kristina Michl, Tomislav Cernava, Rasmus Riemer Jakobsen, Armin Mešić, Natalija Novokmet and Mario Lovrić
J. Fungi 2025, 11(4), 261; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof11040261 - 28 Mar 2025
Viewed by 456
Abstract
Indoor fungal communities, found in household dust, significantly influence indoor air quality and health. These communities are shaped by environmental, socioeconomic, and household factors. However, studies on indoor mycobiomes, particularly in Croatia, remain limited. This study investigates the relationship between environmental and household [...] Read more.
Indoor fungal communities, found in household dust, significantly influence indoor air quality and health. These communities are shaped by environmental, socioeconomic, and household factors. However, studies on indoor mycobiomes, particularly in Croatia, remain limited. This study investigates the relationship between environmental and household factors and indoor fungal communities, focusing on their diversity, composition, and potential health impacts in Croatian households. Dust samples from 66 Croatian households were analyzed using fungal ITS sequencing. Statistical analyses, including alpha diversity measures, were conducted to evaluate the influence of variables such as pet ownership, number of siblings, and cleaning habits on fungal diversity and abundance. Dominant genera included Malassezia, Cladosporium, and the family Didymosphaeriaceae. Pet ownership and sibling presence were linked to higher fungal diversity, with outdoor-associated genera such as Aureobasidium being more abundant in these households. Cleaning practices selectively altered fungal communities, with frequent cleaning reducing diversity, but not eliminating resilient taxa like Malassezia. This study highlights the interplay between environmental, household, and socioeconomic factors in shaping indoor fungal communities. The findings underscore the importance of addressing indoor fungal diversity to improve air quality and health, particularly in households with vulnerable populations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fungal Diversity in Europe, 3rd Edition)
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13 pages, 1931 KiB  
Article
Molecular Biodiversity in Fusarium subglutinans and F. temperatum: A Valuable Tool to Distinguish the Two Sister Species and Determine the Beauvericin Chemotype
by Antonia Susca, Alessandra Villani, Miriam Haidukowski, Filomena Epifani, Antonio F. Logrieco and Antonio Moretti
J. Fungi 2024, 10(11), 785; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof10110785 - 13 Nov 2024
Viewed by 1096
Abstract
Fusarium subglutinans and F. temperatum are widely distributed maize pathogens recognized as distinct species with a species-specific chemotype based on patterns of mycotoxins. Recent comparative genomic analysis revealed that genomes of both species carry a complete beauvericin (Bea) biosynthetic genes cluster, [...] Read more.
Fusarium subglutinans and F. temperatum are widely distributed maize pathogens recognized as distinct species with a species-specific chemotype based on patterns of mycotoxins. Recent comparative genomic analysis revealed that genomes of both species carry a complete beauvericin (Bea) biosynthetic genes cluster, but the key gene Bea1 in F. subglutinans is not functional likely due to a large insertion (NRPS22ins) and multiple mutations (SNP298 and SNP528). We used the recently published genome sequences for these species to develop PCR markers for investigating the distribution of three main mutations in the Bea1 gene in a large collection of strains of both species from around the world. We also designed a PCR assay for a rapid and reliable discrimination of both species in the evaluation of crop exposure to mycotoxins. Overall, our results showed that SNP528 was the most common mutation, followed by NRPS22ins and SNP298. Moreover, phylogenetic analyses suggest that non-synonymous SNPs have occurred first, and that the resulting inactivation of BEA production has caused the accumulation of other polymorphisms, including the NRPS22ins, in the entire gene-coding region. The screening for genetic differences between these species could guide future crop management strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fungal Diversity in Europe, 3rd Edition)
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