Chytridiomycota are a division of zoosporic organisms in the kingdom Fungi, informally known as chytrids. The name is derived from the Ancient Greek χυτρίδιον (khutrídion), meaning "little pot", describing the structure containing unreleased zoospores. Chytrids are one of the earliest diverging fungal lineages, and their membership in kingdom Fungi is demonstrated with chitin cell walls, a posterior whiplash flagellum, absorptive nutrition, use of glycogen as an energy storage compound, and synthesis of lysine by the α-amino adipic acid (AAA) pathway.
Chytridiomycetes is a class of fungi. Members are found in soil, fresh water, and saline estuaries. They are first known from the Rhynie chert. It has recently been redefined to exclude the taxa Neocallimastigomycota and Monoblepharidomycetes, which are now a phylum and a sister-class respectively.
Conoidea is a superfamily of predatory sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks within the suborder Hypsogastropoda. This superfamily is a very large group of marine mollusks, estimated at 340 recent valid genera and subgenera, and considered by one authority to contain 4,000 named living species.
Hyphochytrids are eukaryotic organisms in the group of Stramenopiles (Heterokonta).
Fungi of the order Chytridiales, like other members of its division, may either have a monocentric thallus or a polycentric rhizomycelium. When the ribosomal genes of members classified in this order were first examined using molecular techniques, it was discovered that the order contained some species that were not related. With the culture and characterization of Chytridium olla, the type species of this order, the limits of the Chytridiales were established. The Chytridiales is now monophyletic and species such as Polychytrium aggregatum, Chytriomyces angularis and Cladochytrium replicatum have been transferred to other orders.
Rhizophydiales are an important group of chytrid fungi. They are found in soil as well as marine and fresh water habitats where they function as parasites and decomposers.
Spizellomycetales is an order of fungi in the Chytridiomycetes. Spizellomycetalean chytrids are essentially ubiquitous zoospore-producing fungi found in soils where they decompose pollen. Recently they have also been found in dung and harsh alpine environments, greatly expanding the range of habitats where one can expect to find these fungi.
Blastocladiomycota is one of the currently recognized phyla within the kingdom Fungi. Blastocladiomycota was originally the order Blastocladiales within the phylum Chytridiomycota until molecular and zoospore ultrastructural characters were used to demonstrate it was not monophyletic with Chytridiomycota. The order was first erected by Petersen for a single genus, Blastocladia, which was originally considered a member of the oomycetes. Accordingly, members of Blastocladiomycota are often referred to colloquially as "chytrids." However, some feel "chytrid" should refer only to members of Chytridiomycota. Thus, members of Blastocladiomycota are commonly called "blastoclads" by mycologists. Alternatively, members of Blastocladiomycota, Chytridiomycota, and Neocallimastigomycota lumped together as the zoosporic true fungi. Blastocladiomycota contains 5 families and approximately 12 genera. This early diverging branch of kingdom Fungi is the first to exhibit alternation of generations. As well, two (once) popular model organisms—Allomyces macrogynus and Blastocladiella emersonii—belong to this phylum.
Piromyces is a genus of fungi in the family Neocallimastigaceae.
Rozella is a fungal genus of obligate endoparasites of a variety of hosts, including Oomycota, Chytridiomycota, and Blastocladiomycota. Rozella was circumscribed by French mycologist Marie Maxime Cornu in 1872. Considered one of the earliest diverging lineages of fungi, the widespread genus contains 27 species, with the most well studied being Rozella allomycis. Rozella is a member of a large clade of fungi referred to as the Cryptomycota/Rozellomycota. While some can be maintained in dual culture with the host, most have not been cultured, but they have been detected, using molecular techniques, in soil samples, and in freshwater and marine ecosystems. Zoospores have been observed, along with cysts, and the cells of some species are attached to diatoms.
Synchytrium is a large genus of plant pathogens within the phylum Chytridiomycota. Species are commonly known as false rust or wart disease. Approximately 200 species are described, and all are obligate parasites of angiosperms, ferns, or mosses. Early species were mistakenly classified among the higher fungi because of their superficial similarity to the rust fungi. Anton de Bary and Mikhail S. Woronin recognized the true nature of these fungi and established the genus to accommodate Synchytrium taraxaci, which grows on dandelions, and S. succisae, which grows on Succisa pratensis. Synchytrium taraxaci is the type of the genus. The genus has been divided into 6 subgenera based on differences in life cycles.
Olpidium is a fungal genus in the family Olpidiaceae. Members of Olpidium are zoosporic pathogens of plants, animals, fungi, and oomycetes.
Entophlyctis is a genus of fungi currently classified in the family Chytriomycetaceae. The genus, widespread in temperate regions and contains about 20 species.
Physoderma is a genus of chytrid fungi. Described by German botanist Karl Friedrich Wilhelm Wallroth in 1833, the genus contains some species that are parasitic on vascular plants, including P. alfalfae and P. maydis, causative agents of crown wart of alfalfa and brown spot of corn, respectively. Of the chytrid genera, Physoderma is the oldest. However, species were confused with the rust fungi, the genus Synchytrium, and the genus Protomyces of Ascomycota. Members of Physoderma are obligate parasites of pteridophytes and angiosperms. There are approximately 80 species within this genus.
The Chytriomycetaceae are a family of fungi in the order Chytridiales.
Dendrochytridium is a fungal genus in the order Chytridiales. The genus is monotypic, containing the single saprobic species Dendrochytridium crassum, isolated from detritus collected from an Australian tree canopy. Both the genus and species were described as new to science in 2013. Phylogenetically, Dendrochytridium crassum groups together in a clade with other fungi possessing Group II-type zoospores. These fungi, which include representatives from the genera Chytridium, Phlyctochytrium, Chytriomyces, and Polyphlyctis are classified in the family Chytridiaceae.
Rhizoclosmatium is a genus of fungi classified in the family Chytriomycetaceae. It was circumscribed by Danish mycologist Henning Eiler Petersen in 1903. The genus contains four species.
Chytridium is a genus of fungi in the family Chytridiaceae.
Aphelidium tribonemae is a species within the Aphelid group. Their classification in the kingdom Fungi is a subject of controversy. Some argue for the classification of aphelids as ‘fungal animals', and for a period of time in the 1950s, aphids were classified as protists due to their amoeboid stage. Recently, molecular phylogenetics placed the aphelids within Opisthosporidia, a super phylum within Opisthokonta. Aphelids have posterior uniflagellate zoospores which place them as Opisthokonts. They are an early diverging lineage in Kingdom Fungi. While the aphelid group only contains three genera, it spans many both freshwater and marine ecosystems.
Marilyn Rose Noyes Mollicone was an American botanist advancing mycology in Maine and advocating for naturalist education.
