A new and interesting record of genus Gymnoascus Baran (Ascomycota) from Iran

A specimen of an ascomycetous fungus collected during a field trip was identified as Gymnoascus Baran. Soil samples collected from 0-20 cm depth were studied for isolation of fungi using a soil dilution plate method. Based on the morphological and molecular characters the specimens were identified as Gymnoascus reesii. Genomic DNA was extracted and a nuclear rDNA region, containing the internal transcribed spacers 1, 2 and 5.8S gene of rDNA (ITS) were amplified and PCR products were sequenced. Amplicon was purified, sequenced and submitted to the GenBank (Acc. No. JQ387570-71). The resulting sequence (600 bp) was submitted to a BLAST search to find most similar sequences in GenBank. The search results showed highest similarity of Iranian isolates to other isolates of G. reesii from GenBank. In the light of literature on ascomycetous fungi, Gymnoascus Baran is a new record for Iran mycoflora. The specimens are kept in fungal collection of the Department of Plant Protection, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran.