Ustilago

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Ustilago
Ustilago maydis de 2.jpg
Ustilago maydis (Corn smut)
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Basidiomycota
Class: Ustilaginomycetes
Order: Ustilaginales
Family: Ustilaginaceae
Genus: Ustilago
(Pers.) Roussel 1806
Type species
Ustilago hordei
(Pers.) Lagerh.

Ustilago is a genus of approximately 200 smut fungi, which are parasitic on grasses. [1] 170 species are accepted by Wijayawardene et al. 2020; [2] After phylogenetic research certain species in Ustilago, Macalpinomyces, and other genera in the Ustilaginaceae clade have been moved to other genera like Mycosarcoma. [3]

Contents

Uses

Ustilago maydis is eaten as a traditional Mexican food in many parts of the country, and is even available canned. Farmers have even been known to spread the spores around on purpose to create more of the fungus. It is known in central Mexico by the Nahuatl name huitlacoche. Peasants in other parts of the country call it "hongo de maíz," i.e. "maize fungus." [4]

The genome of U. maydis has been sequenced in 2006. [5]

Hosts

Some selected species and hosts;

U. bullata - brome smut

U. cynodontis - Bermuda grass smut

U. residua - hosts on Danthonia californica

U. trichophora - hosts on Echinochloa crus-galli and other Echinochloa sp.

U. serpens

U. brizae - hosts on Briza media [6]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Basidiomycota</span> Division of fungi

Basidiomycota is one of two large divisions that, together with the Ascomycota, constitute the subkingdom Dikarya within the kingdom Fungi. Members are known as basidiomycetes. More specifically, Basidiomycota includes these groups: agarics, puffballs, stinkhorns, bracket fungi, other polypores, jelly fungi, boletes, chanterelles, earth stars, smuts, bunts, rusts, mirror yeasts, and Cryptococcus, the human pathogenic yeast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corn smut</span> Fungal plant disease on maize and teosinte

Corn smut is a plant disease caused by the pathogenic fungus Mycosarcoma maydis. One of several cereal crop pathogens called smut, the fungus forms galls on all above-ground parts of corn species such as maize and teosinte. The infected corn is edible; in Mexico, it is considered a delicacy, called huitlacoche, often eaten as a filling in quesadillas and other tortilla-based dishes, as well as in soups.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Smut (fungus)</span> Reproductive structure of fungi

The smuts are multicellular fungi characterized by their large numbers of teliospores. The smuts get their name from a Germanic word for 'dirt' because of their dark, thick-walled, and dust-like teliospores. They are mostly Ustilaginomycetes and comprise seven of the 15 orders of the subphylum. Most described smuts belong to two orders, Ustilaginales and Tilletiales. The smuts are normally grouped with the other basidiomycetes because of their commonalities concerning sexual reproduction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hypocreales</span> Order of fungi

The Hypocreales are an order of fungi within the class Sordariomycetes. In 2008, it was estimated that it contained some 237 genera, and 2647 species in seven families. Since then, a considerable number of further taxa have been identified, including an additional family, the Stachybotryaceae. Wijayawardene et al. in 2020 added more families and genera to the order. According to the Catalog of Life, As of April 2021 the Hypocreales contains 6 families, 137 genera, and 1411 species. Hyde et al. (2020a) listed 14 families under Hypocreales, while, Wijayawardene et al. (2022) accepted 15 families in the order, where Cylindriaceae was additionally added. Earlier, Hyde et al. (2020a) had placed Cylindriaceae in class Xylariomycetidae. Samarakoon et al. (2022) agreed. Hence, Cylindriaceae should have been excluded from Hypocreales and placed in Xylariomycetidae. Xiao et al. (2022) recently introduced a new family Polycephalomycetaceae to Hypocreales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marasmiaceae</span> Family of fungi

The Marasmiaceae are a family of fungi in the order Agaricales. Basidiocarps are most frequently agarics, but occasionally cyphelloid. According to a 2008 estimate, the family contained 54 genera and 1590 species, but molecular research, based on cladistic analysis of DNA sequences, has led to a more restricted family concept, so that the Marasmiaceae included just 13 genera, and some 1205 species. It was reduced further down in 2020, to 10 genera and about 700 species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ustilaginomycotina</span> Subdivision of fungi

The Ustilaginomycotina is a subdivision within the division Basidiomycota of the kingdom Fungi. It consists of the classes Ustilaginomycetes and Exobasidiomycetes, and in 2014 the subdivision was reclassified and the two additional classes Malasseziomycetes and Monilielliomycetes added. The name was first published by Doweld in 2001; Bauer and colleagues later published it in 2006 as an isonym. Ustilagomycotina and Agaricomycotina are considered to be sister groups, and they are in turn sister groups to the subdivision Pucciniomycotina.

<i>Cercospora</i> Genus of fungi

Cercospora is a genus of ascomycete fungi. Most species have no known sexual stage, and when the sexual stage is identified, it is in the genus Mycosphaerella. Most species of this genus cause plant diseases, and form leaf spots. It is a relatively well-studied genus of fungi, but there are countless species not yet described, and there is still much to learn about the best-known members of the genus.

Sporisorium reilianum Langdon & Full., (1978), previously known as Sphacelotheca reiliana, and Sporisorium reilianum, is a species of biotrophic fungus in the family Ustilaginaceae. It is a plant pathogen that infects maize and sorghum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Botryosphaeriales</span> Order of fungi

The Botryosphaeriales are an order of sac fungi (Ascomycetes), placed under class Dothideomycetes. Some species are parasites, causing leaf spot, plant rot, die-back or cankers, but they can also be saprophytes or endophytes. They occur world-wide on many hosts. For example, in China, infections related to Botryosphaeriales have been recorded on numerous hosts such as grapes, Caragana arborescens,Cercis chinensis, Eucalyptus, Chinese hackberry, blueberry, forest trees, and various other woody hosts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ustilaginaceae</span> Family of fungi

The Ustilaginaceae are a family of smut fungi in the order Ustilaginomycetes. Collectively, the family contains 17 genera and 607 species.

The Cintractiellaceae are a monotypic, family of smut fungi, in the order Cintractiellales, but unplaced beyond that. The family contains one genera, Cintractiella with 4 species. The family was circumscribed by mycologist Kálmán Vánky in 2003.

The Websdaneaceae are a family of smut fungi in the class Ustilaginomycetes. Collectively, the family contains 2 genera and 22 species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chaconiaceae</span> Family of fungi

The Chaconiaceae are a family of rust fungi in the order Pucciniales. The family contained 8 genera and 75 species in 2008. By 2020, there were 8 genera and 84 species.

The Melanotaeniaceae are a family of smut fungi in the order Ustilaginomycetes, containing three genera.

Yelsemia is a genus of smut fungi in the family Melanotaeniaceae, containing four species.

<i>Ustilago esculenta</i> Species of fungus

Ustilago esculenta is a species of fungus in the Ustilaginaceae, a family of smut fungi. It is in the same genus as the fungi that cause corn smut, loose smut of barley, false loose smut, covered smut of barley, loose smut of oats, and other grass diseases. This species is pathogenic as well, attacking Manchurian wild rice, also known as Manchurian ricegrass, Asian wild rice, and wateroat. This grass is its only known host.

Ustilagic acid is an organic compound with the formula C36H64O18. The acid is a cellobiose lipid produced by the corn smut fungus Ustilago maydis under conditions of nitrogen starvation. The acid was discovered in 1950 and was proved to be an amphipathic glycolipid with surface active properties. The name comes from Latin ustus which means burnt and refers to the scorched appearance of the smut fungi.

Macalpinomyces is a fungus genus in the Ustilaginaceae family.

<i>Moesziomyces</i> Genus of fungi

Moesziomyces is a fungal genus in the family Ustilaginaceae.

<i>Mycosarcoma</i> Genus of fungi

Mycosarcoma is a genus of fungus including M. maydis, sometimes called Ustilago maydis, 'corn smut fungus'. This genus seems to be a result of recent genetic testing showing that a new taxon is needed to better organize these species, previously thought unrelated. The six recognized species were in different genera originally until genetic testing showed their relations and a genus name was resurrected to split these species into a more fitting nomenclature.

References

  1. Kirk MP, Cannon PF, Minter DW, Stalpers JA (2008). Dictionary of the Fungi (10th ed.). Wallingford: CABI. p.  718. ISBN   0-85199-826-7.
  2. Wijayawardene, Nalin; Hyde, Kevin; Al-Ani, Laith Khalil Tawfeeq; Somayeh, Dolatabadi; Stadler, Marc; Haelewaters, Danny; et al. (2020). "Outline of Fungi and fungus-like taxa". Mycosphere. 11: 1060–1456. doi: 10.5943/mycosphere/11/1/8 . hdl: 10481/61998 .
  3. McTaggart, Alistair R.; Shivas, Roger G.; Boekhout, Teun; Oberwinkler, Franz; Vánky, Kálmán; Pennycook, Shaun R.; Begerow, Dominik (December 2016). "Mycosarcoma (Ustilaginaceae), a resurrected generic name for corn smut (Ustilago maydis) and its close relatives with hypertrophied, tubular sori". IMA Fungus. 7 (2): 309–315. doi:10.5598/imafungus.2016.07.02.10. ISSN   2210-6359. PMC   5159601 . PMID   27990337.
  4. Laferrière, Joseph E. 1991. Mountain Pima ethnomycology. Journal of Ethnobiology 11(1):159-160.
  5. Kämper J, Kahmann R, Bölker M, et al. (2006). "Insights from the genome of the biotrophic fungal plant pathogen Ustilago maydis". Nature. 444 (7115): 97–101. doi: 10.1038/nature05248 . hdl: 10261/339644 . PMID   17080091.
  6. bjoerns (2023-06-19). "Ustilago brizae". iNaturalist. Retrieved 2024-07-30.