Classification of the Peronosporomycetes

Physiologically and morphologically, as obligately osmotrophic heterotrophs, the Peronosporomycetes are ‘fungi.’ They are phylogenetically separate from the Mycota (an alternative taxonomic name for the kingdom Fungi) and sometimes are described as Oomycota. The biflagellate, anisokont but nonstraminipilous Plasmodiophorales and the uniflagellate Chytridiomycetes likewise are unrelated. The Chytridiomycetes may be an early offshoot from the phylogenetic line leading tothe nonflagellate Mycota.

The Peronosporomycetes are algae fungi or cellulose fungi, form a class within the Stramenopilen, and therefore are much closer to brown algae, golden algae, and diatoms used as the genuine fungi. The taxa include several plant pathogens, such as the causative agent of late blight of potato and downy mildews.

The Peronosporomycetes include the most numerous, most important, and earliest known (with mid-eighteenth century reports for Saprolegnia on fish) water molds…

In relation to this, Tim Sandle has written an article for the new edition of the Encyclopedia of Food Microbiology. The reference is:

Sandle, T., 2014. Fungi: Classification of the Peronosporomycetes. In: Batt, C.A., Tortorello, M.L. (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Food Microbiology, vol 2. Elsevier Ltd, Academic Press, pp. 44–53

For more details about the Encyclopedia of Food Microbiology, please see: EFC

Posted by Tim Sandle