Phylogenetic Analysis of Basidiomycete Fungi

Basidiomycete fungi constitute one of the most diverse lineages within the fungal kingdom, ranging from wood-decaying polypores to edible gilled mushrooms and economically significant plant pathogens. Phylogenetic analysis has transformed our understanding of their evolutionary relationships, revealing deep-branching clades, ongoing speciation, and instances of convergent morphology. Modern studies integrate DNA sequence data from multiple loci—commonly the internal transcribed spacer (ITS), nuclear large subunit ribosomal RNA gene (nLSU), translation elongation factor 1-α (TEF1), and RNA polymerase II subunits (rpb1, rpb2)—with statistical methods such as maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference. These approaches have disentangled long-standing taxonomic uncertainties, provided a temporal framework for major divergence events, and mapped biogeographical histories. Insights from phylogenomics and molecular dating have elucidated the origins and global dispersal routes of key groups, informing conservation, forestry management and industrial biotechnology. Phylogenetic frameworks now underpin the discovery of new genera and species, the redefinition of higher-rank taxa, and the development of identification keys that accommodate both morphological and genetic boundaries.

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Phylogenetic Analysis of Basidiomycete Fungi publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in phylogenetic analysis of basidiomycete fungi across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Basidiomycete: Fungi within the phylum Basidiomycota that produce sexual spores on specialised cells called basidia.

Phylogenetic analysis: The reconstruction of evolutionary relationships among organisms using genetic or morphological data.

Multi-locus phylogeny: Phylogenetic inference based on sequences from multiple gene regions to improve resolution and support.

Clade: A group of organisms comprising an ancestor and all its descendants, representing a single branch on the tree of life.

Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS): A non-coding region of nuclear ribosomal DNA widely used as a genetic marker for species-level identification in fungi.

References

1. Multi-Gene Phylogeny and Taxonomy of the Wood-Rotting Fungal Genus Phlebia sensu lato (Polyporales, Basidiomycota). Journal of Fungi (2023).
2. Global Diversity and Updated Phylogeny of Auricularia (Auriculariales, Basidiomycota). Journal of Fungi (2021).
3. Characterization of New Tropicoporus Species (Basidiomycota, Hymenochaetales, Hymenochaetaceae) Discovered in Tamil Nadu, India. Biology (2024).