Microdochium phragmitis | |
---|---|
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Kingdom: | Fungi |
Division: | Ascomycota |
Class: | Sordariomycetes |
Order: | Amphisphaeriales |
Family: | Amphisphaeriaceae |
Genus: | Microdochium |
Species: | M. phragmitis |
Binomial name | |
Microdochium phragmitis Syd. & P. Syd. | |
Microdochium phragmitis is a newly recovered species that mycologists are still distinguishing from other Microdochium species. This fungus has a regular Microdochium shape that can only be seen microscopically. There is no fruiting mushroom body, so finding it in the field can be difficult. It is categorized as an ascomycetous fungal plant pathogen. [1]
This genus was first documented by Sydow (1924) on the plant Phragmites australis in Germany. [2] M. phragmitis is commonly designated as an epitype because some conclusive features for identification are missing. [3] The genus has approximately 20-48 species, but only a few are well known and have been studied. [4] [1] The species is typically classified as phytopathogenic and saprobic. [3] There have yet to be chlamydospores observed in this genus, although it is a common characteristic in microdochium species. [3]
The overall structure of the fungi is globose or oblong with some variation. [5] One common trait between organisms is they almost always contain curved truncate bases and apices. [3] The septa are usually 1-2 μm wide. [3] It also contains hyaline cells, conoid conidiogenous cells, and solitary fusiform or subfalcate hyaline conidia. [1] The structure is made up of conidiophores with conidogenous cells, hyaline cells, and relatively small septa. Conidia of the species are usually small apical structures brightly orange-colored and have leaf-like stroma. [5] The small papillate conidiogenous cells have been visualized in many varying structure shapes including lageniform, cylindrical, terminal, sympodial, annedllidic, clavate, and even navicular. Similarly, conidia arise holoblastically and are usually solitary, fusiform, and dry. [5]
Microdochium phragmitis is an endophyte fungus that has only been documented as living within Phragmites australis . [6] [7] As such, the host usually does not feel any negative symptoms associated with the apparent disease. The fungus colonizes the living roots of the common reed without causing harm, but can also be pathogenic to plants. More research is needed to learn about the pathogenic properties and diseases caused by the fungus. [8] One thing researchers have shown is the ability of the fungus to participate in niche partitioning with Microdochium bolleyi [9] on the colonized P. australis. [6] There is a possibility of the fungus playing a role in an additional Spatio-temporal niche partitioning. Research has documented that the conidia are holoblastic in character, but the mechanics of the relationship are weakly defined in the literature. [6]
Microdochium phragmitis was first recovered in Poland on P. australis. [10] Since then it has been found in other locations in Poland, Germany, and across the world. [11] [3] This genus is unique from other Microdochium species because it thrives on the roots in flooded habitats. It can still function on stems, leaves, or in dry conditions, just not as well as the former habitat type. [6] This species flourishes in the colder months when the temperature stays at 20 degrees C or less. However, the fungus can survive in the warmer spring and summer months, but not at such a high rate. [6]
Microdochium phragmitis can't be found on cultivated plants, but it can be cultured in the lab. [3] This specific microdochium specie is not pathogenic. However, the genus has many pathogenic species including the popular snow mold plant pathogen. [8] It also is closely related to fungal isolates obtained from salmon eggs ( Verticillium dahliae , a plant pathogen). [8] Significant research has not been completed yet as to the potential medicinal drug uses of the fungi, but it showed some cytotoxic activity in a human tumoral cell. [12] [8]
Microdochium phragmitis is often used as the baseline comparison for species of similar morphology and DNA sequences, however, there are no synonyms for this fungi. Until recently, M. phragmitis was undistinguished from the rest of the Microdochium species. [3] Additionally, M. lycopodinum is presented as a sister clade. The two were differentiated after comparing the morphology and DNA sequences of the conidia spores in cell cultures. [3]
Verticillium is a genus of fungi in the division Ascomycota, and are an anamorphic form of the family Plectosphaerellaceae. The genus used to include diverse groups comprising saprobes and parasites of higher plants, insects, nematodes, mollusc eggs, and other fungi, thus the genus used to have a wide-ranging group of taxa characterised by simple but ill-defined characters. The genus, currently thought to contain 51 species, may be broadly divided into three ecologically based groups - mycopathogens, entomopathogens, and plant pathogens and related saprotrophs. However, the genus has undergone recent revision into which most entomopathogenic and mycopathogenic isolates fall into a new group called Lecanicillium.
Glomerella graminicola is an economically important crop parasite affecting both wheat and maize where it causes the plant disease Anthracnose Leaf Blight.
Beauveria is a genus of asexually-reproducing fungi allied with the ascomycete family Cordycipitaceae. Its several species are typically insect pathogens. The sexual states (teleomorphs) of Beauveria species, where known, are species of Cordyceps.
Acrophialophora fusispora is a poorly studied ascomycete fungus found in soil, air and various plants. A. fusispora is morphologically similar to the genera Paecilomyces and Masonia, but differ in the presence of pigmented conidiophores, verticillate phialides, and frequent sympodial proliferation. Moreover, A. fusispora is distinguished by its pigmented spindle-shaped conidia, covered with spiral bands. The fungus is naturally found in soils of tropical to temperate regions. The fungus has been identified as a plant and animal pathogen, and has recently been recognized as an emerging opportunistic human pathogen. A. fusispora infection in human is rare and has few documented clinical cases, but due to the rarity of the fungus and potential misidentification, the infections may be underdiagnosed. Clinical cases of A. fusispora include cases of keratitis, pulmonary colonization and infection, and cerebral infections. The fungus also has two documented cases of infection in dogs.
Colletotrichum fragariae is a fungal plant pathogen infecting strawberries. It is not a well known fungus, and there are many similar fungi that are related to it. It is part of the Colletotrichum genus. It is a pathogen that occurs in strawberries. It leads to the disease known as anthracnose. This is typically at the crown of the strawberry, which is why it is often called crown rot. It is also known as the Anthracnose Crown rot. The fungus also infects leaves and is known as leaf spot, which is common among all Colletotrichum. This is not as common in the fragariae, as it is more common in the crown. This fungus is also better at infecting younger strawberries/seedlings. The most common way to control this disease is fungicides that are harmful to the environment. There have been studies done to see if the fungus infects other hosts but other than some weeds, it is very specific to Strawberries.
Coniochaeta hoffmannii, also known as Lecythophora hoffmannii, is an ascomycete fungus that grows commonly in soil. It has also been categorized as a soft-rot fungus capable of bringing the surface layer of timber into a state of decay, even when safeguarded with preservatives. Additionally, it has pathogenic properties, although it causes serious infection only in rare cases. A plant pathogen lacking a known sexual state, C. hoffmannii has been classified as a "dematiaceous fungus" despite its contradictory lack of pigmentation; both in vivo and in vitro, there is no correlation between its appearance and its classification.
Lasiodiplodia citricola is an endophytic fungus. It was first isolated in northern Iran, and is named after its first known host, citrus plants. It has since been isolated in other plants in other continents, and is considered a plant pathogen. L. citricola is phylogenetically related to L. parva, but conidia of the former are longer and wider.
Lasiodiplodia gilanensis is an endophytic fungus. It was first isolated in Gilan Province, Iran, hence its name. It has since been isolated in other plants in other continents, and is considered a plant pathogen. L. gilanensis is phylogenetically related to L. plurivora, but can be distinguished by its conidial dimensions. Also, the paraphyses of the former are up to 95μm long and 4μm wide, whereas those of L. plurivora are up to 130μm long and 10μm wide. At the same time, the basal 1–3 cells in the paraphyses of L. plurivora are broader than its apical cells.
Lasiodiplodia hormozganensis is an endophytic fungus. It was first isolated in Hormozgan Province, Iran, from Mangifera indica, and has since been isolated in other plants in other continents, and is considered a plant pathogen. This species is phylogenetically related to L. citricola and L. parva but is distinguished by their conidial dimensions and length of their paraphyses. Conidia of L. hormozganensis are larger than those of L. parva, albeit smaller than those of L. citricola. Paraphyses of L. hormozganensis are shorter than in L. parva and L. citricola.
Lasiodiplodia iraniensis is an endophytic fungus. It was first isolated in Mangifera indica, Eucalyptus and citrus species, Salvadora persica, Juglans species and Terminalia catappa in Iran. It has since been isolated in other plants in other continents, and is considered a plant pathogen. L. iraniensis is phylogenetically distinct from other species, but is closely related to L. theobromae; although conidia of L. iraniensis are smaller than the former. Dimensions of the conidia of L. iraniensis are similar to those of L. parva, but the subglobose conidia with rounded ends distinguish this species from L. parva.
The mycobiome, mycobiota, or fungal microbiome, is the fungal community in and on an organism.
Harposporium anguillulae is a member of the genus Harposporium. It is an endoparasitic nematophagous fungus that attacks nematodes and eelworms and is isolated commonly from field and agricultural soils as well as used as an experimental organism in the laboratory.
The Pyriculariaceae are a family of ascomycete fungi in the order Magnaporthales. It was introduced by S. Klaubauf, M.H. Lebrun & P.W. Crous in 2014.
Rhinocladiella mackenziei is a deeply pigmented fungus that is a common cause of human cerebral phaeohyphomycosis. Rhinocladiella mackenziei was believed to be endemic solely to the Middle East, due to the first cases of infection being limited to the region. However, cases of R. mackenziei infection are increasingly reported from regions outside the Middle East. This pathogen is unique in that the majority of cases have been reported from immunologically normal people.
Cladophialophora carrionii is a melanized fungus in the genus Cladophialophora that is associated with decaying plant material like cacti and wood. It is one of the most frequent species of Cladophialophora implicated in human disease. Cladophialophora carrionii is a causative agent of chromoblastomycosis, a subcutaneous infection that occurs in sub-tropical areas such as Madagascar, Australia and northwestern Venezuela. Transmission occurs through traumatic implantation of plant material colonized by C. carrionii, mainly infecting rural workers. When C. carrionii infects its host, it transforms from a mycelial state to a muriform state to better tolerate the extreme conditions in the host's body.
Microascus manginii is a filamentous fungal species in the genus Microascus. It produces both sexual (teleomorph) and asexual (anamorph) reproductive stages known as M. manginii and Scopulariopsis candida, respectively. Several synonyms appear in the literature because of taxonomic revisions and re-isolation of the species by different researchers. M. manginii is saprotrophic and commonly inhabits soil, indoor environments and decaying plant material. It is distinguishable from closely related species by its light colored and heart-shaped ascospores used for sexual reproduction. Scopulariopsis candida has been identified as the cause of some invasive infections, often in immunocompromised hosts, but is not considered a common human pathogen. There is concern about amphotericin B resistance in S. candida.
Aspergillus giganteus is a species of fungus in the genus Aspergillus that grows as a mold. It was first described in 1901 by Wehmer, and is one of six Aspergillus species from the Clavati section of the subgenus Fumigati. Its closest taxonomic relatives are Aspergillus rhizopodus and Aspergillus longivescia.
Tritirachium oryzae is a fungus in the Basidiomycota often mistaken for a member of the Ascomycota. it is a mesophile linked recently with human pathogenicity in multiple, rare cases. This species produces airborne spores and is an endophyte of several plant species in North America, South America and in the Middle East.
Hemibiotrophs are the spectrum of plant pathogens, including bacteria, oomycete and a group of plant pathogenic fungi that keep its host alive while establishing itself within the host tissue, taking up the nutrients with brief biotrophic-like phase. It then, in later stages of infection switches to a necrotrophic life-style, where it rampantly kills the host cells, deriving its nutrients from the dead tissues.
Xenodevriesia strelitziicola is a pathogenic ascomycete fungus in the class Dothideomycetes that infects the South African plant Strelitzia. It is the only species of the monotypic genus Xenodevriesia and family Xenodevriesiaceae.