Rhizopus Ehrenb.
The classification system in the genus Rhizopus was previously revised based on physiological and morphological characteristics such as size of sporangia and sporangiophore and branching of rhizoids (Schipper 1984; Schipper and Stalpers 1984). Recently, however, molecular identification has been employed by analyses of rDNA ITS, small subunit (SSU), large subunit (LSU), actin (Actin-1) and translation elongation factor (EF-1α) genes (Abe et al. 2007; 2010; Hoffmann et al. 2013; Walther et al. 2013).
The genus Rhizopus , one of the genera of Mucoromycotina, includes many species that are often used as starters in food fermentation. In Asia especially, some species of Rhizopus are used to make Tempe, a fermented food based on soybeans (Schipper 1984; Schipper and Stalpers 1984). However, several species of Rhizopus are also implicated in diseases such as mucormycosis in humans and animals (Frye and Reinhardt 1993).
During a study on the Mucorales from a persimmon fruit in Korea, a species of Rhizopus was isolated that differs morphologically and molecularly from other species and is described here as new. The phylogenetic trees for Rhizopus are presented in Figs. 1, and 2.
Fig. 1 Phylogenetic tree for Rhizopus koreanus EML-HO95-1 and EML-HO95-2 based on Maximum likelihood analysis of ITS rDNA sequence. Sequence of Phycomyces blakesleeanus was used as outgroup. Bootstrap support values >50% are indicated at the nodes. The bar indicates the number of substitutions per position. New taxa are in blue and extype strains in bold.
Fig. 2 Phylogenetic tree for Rhizopus koreanus EML-HO95-1 and EML-HO95-2 and related species based on Maximumlikelihood analysis of multi-genes including 18S and 28S rDNA, actin (Actin-1) and elongation factor (EF-1α). Sequences of Umbelopsis nana and U. isabellina were used as outgroups. Bootstrap support values >50 % are indicated.
Species