Smut fungi

The genus Ustilago is representative of this order. Ustilago species are commonly dimorphic phragmobasidial smut fungi parasitic on seeds and flowers of many cereals and grasses [380]. Smut spores may be inhaled and therefore may be isolated from sputum specimens. Based on partial sequences... 

Bakkeren G, Kronstad JW Linkage of mating-type loci distinguishes bipolar from tetrapolar mating in basidiomycetous smut fungi. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 1994 91 7085-7089. 

Ingold CT Ballistospores m Melanotaenium endogenum. Trans Br Mycol Soc 1988 91 712-714. Bauer R, Oberwinkler F, Vanky K Ultrastructural markers in smut fungi and allied taxa. Can JBot 1997 75 1273-1314. 

Demi G Taxonomy of phragmobasidial smut fungi. Stud Mycol 1987 30 127-135. 

However, loss reduction is not the sole aim of plant protection. Certain rust and smut fungi not only damage crops, but also produce metabolites toxic to human beings and domestic animals. The chitin shield of the grain weevil contains carcinogenic compounds, quinones, which may appear in the flour prepared from the infested cereal. 

The basidiomycete fungi are divided into homo-basidiomycetes (saproph) ic, e.g. mushrooms, puffballs) and the heterobasidiomycetes (parasitic e.g. the rust and the smut fungi). The homobasidiomycetes have 16 0, 18 1 and 18 2 as their main fatty acids (Table 3.207) with linoleate usually predominating. In some mushrooms, hydroxy fatty acids are significant and may be the major acids (Prostenik et aL, 1978). The rust fungi contain cis-9,10-epoxyoctadecanoic acid which is used to confirm them in culture. 

Fungi are unicellular or multicellular organisms that are more highly evolved than bacteria (Chapter 17). They are members of the plant kingdom and include molds, mildew, smuts, rusts, and yeasts. They range in size from 3 to 50 fim. With the exception of yeasts, they are usually rod shaped and arranged end-to-end in strands or filaments. Yeasts are usually oval. 

Moore RT Taxonomic proposals for the classification of marine yeasts and other yeast-like fungi including the smuts. Bot Mar 1980 23 361-373. 

Flowever, fungi are responsible for some common garden plant diseases, including powdery mildew, damping-off, late blight, apple scab, and corn smut. 

Fungi also cause a number of plant and animal diseases. Because fungi are more chemically and genetically similar to animals than other organisms, fungal diseases are very difficult to treat. Plant diseases caused by fungi include rusts, smuts, and leaf, root, and stem rots, and may cause severe damage... 

Trichothecin is effective against several fungi, for example root rot of cereals (Helminthosporium sativum), loose smut of wheat (Ustilago tritici), diseases of sour cherry and cherry (Voros, 1955), fusarium wilt of Pinaceae (Belimova and Lopatin, 1963) and powdery mildew of tobacco (Manucharjan, 1964). Its most promising practical applications are the control Verticillium wilt of cotton and of the fusarium diseases of field crops (Askarova and Joffe, 1962 Bunina, 1960 1963). 

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