Connecting basal fungal lineages to Brazilian mycologists to maintain and advance a limited research line in the country

Abstract

The study of parasitic fungi has profoundly impacted the systematics of the kingdom, especially in the early diverging fungal (EDF) lineages. In Brazil, based on previous studies in collaboration with about to retire researchers, several taxonomic novelties were discovered in Atlantic rainforest areas from São Paulo state, contributing to a better understanding of the fungal occurrence, distribution, and evolutionary trends. Thus, in line with the objectives of the Young Investigator grant, which aims to introduce a new line of research at the institution, and with the Biota Program for studying the Brazilian funga, this proposal will enable the IFungiLab team to expand the study of basal fungi, in addition to maintaining an almost extinct research line in the country. From the sampling of Brazilian EDF lineages, we intend to understand some evolutionary trends in Blastocladiomycota, using single-cell and genomic approaches on saprophytic species of Allomyces, Blastocladia, and Blastocladiella and on parasitic members of Coelomomyces and Physoderma. Additionally, we intend to generate new genomic sequences from wild edible mushrooms selected by our ongoing project in Brazil to compare different species and genera of commercial mushrooms with genome data available in search of similarities in the genome that may indicate some genetic evidence for domestication and improve of cultivation and organoleptic properties. If this proposal is accepted, a new Young Investigator Fapesp proposal can be structured to welcome to the IFungiLab a specialist in EDF lineages or that this group of organisms can be added in a new proposal from the principal researcher in Brazil, such as a Young Investigator Phase 2 or a Thematic Project. Additionally, the genomic data from wild edible mushrooms obtained from this collaboration will be essential to structure a new project on mushrooms in Brazil with a metagenomic approach. (AU)