CZEUM

CZEUM maintains a cryopreserved collection of 1,045 zoosporic eufungal cultures, including 52 ex-type strains from Chytridiomycota, Monoblepharidomycota, and Blastocladiomycota, with linked long-read ribosomal DNA operon sequences to support taxonomic and phylogenetic research.

Key Features:

• Collection composition: Consolidates cultures from the University of Maine Culture Collection (UMCC), the University of Alabama Chytrid Culture Collection (UACCC), and additional zoosporic eufungal accessions, totaling 1,045 cryopreserved cultures.
• Ex-type strains: Contains 52 ex-type strains that serve as taxonomic reference material.
• rDNA operon amplification: The majority of the ribosomal DNA operon was amplified in a single reaction yielding an average fragment length of 4739 base pairs.
• Long-read sequencing: Molecular characterization employed Oxford Nanopore Technologies MinION sequencing with associated software to generate long-read rDNA operon sequences.
• Sequence validation: Generated sequences were compared to published Sanger sequences and include matches to those references.
• Phylogenetic dataset: A comprehensive phylogeny was constructed encompassing 882 zoosporic eufungal strains, representing the most detailed phylogenetic framework reported for these taxa.

Scientific Applications:

• Taxonomic studies: Provides ex-type strains and linked rDNA operon sequences for nomenclatural and species-level taxonomic reference.
• Phylogenetic analyses: Supplies long-read rDNA sequence data and a 882-strain phylogeny for evolutionary relationship inference among zoosporic eufungi.
• Biodiversity and evolutionary research: Supports investigations of fungal diversity and evolutionary patterns across Chytridiomycota, Monoblepharidomycota, and Blastocladiomycota.

Methodology:

Amplification of the majority of the rDNA operon in a single reaction, long-read sequencing on Oxford Nanopore Technologies MinION with associated software, sequence comparison to published Sanger sequences, and phylogenetic reconstruction for 882 strains.