Course Code: BOT102

Course Title: Microbiology and Plant Pathology

Unit IV: Mycology

Classification of
Fungi upto class
Dr. Deepa Srivastava
Assistant Professor
Department of Botany
DDU Gorakhpur University
Gorakhpur
 • The word “classification” may be defined as “the
scientific categorization of organisms in a
hierarchical series of group”
• In spite of the existence of many varieties,
biological strains and physiological or cultural
races, the species is generally considered as the
Classification smallest group.
• More similar species are grouped together into
genus, similar genera are grouped into family,
families into order, orders into class, similar classes
into division, division into kingdom, and kingdom
into domain or superkingdom
Fungal Classification
• No one knows how long fungi have inhabited the earth.
• It is believed the theory of many present day mycologist that fungi and flagellates has a
common ancestory
• Then “The fungi are neither plants nor animals: they are fungi” in the words of
Alexopoulos and Mims(1979).
 The position of slime moulds have always
been shifting between plants and animals
in different system of classification.

Group of Mycologist treat them under Myxomycetes

in fungi and Zoologist still treat them
Uncertain under Mycetozoa.
Affinity
The same is also true with Acrasiomycetes
(Cellular slime moulds) and
Hydromyxomycetes.
 Seven major characters that are used in fungal
taxonomy are
Criteria i. Morphological characters

used in ii.
iii.
Host specialization
Physiological Characters
Fungal iv.
v.
Cytological and genetical characters
Serological Characters
Taxonomy vi. Biochemical Characters
vii. Numerical Taxonomy
Recommendations of International Committee
• The committee on International Rules of Botanical Nomenclature recommended the
use of following “ Suffixes” for the division and other major categories of fungi:
• Division should end in : Mycota
• Subdivision should end in: Mycotina
• Classes should end in: Mycetes
• Subclasses should end in: Mycetidae
• Order should end in : ales
• Family should end in : aceae
• No standard ending have been proposed for genera and species.
• Species are sometimes broken into varieties , forms and physiological races
Important systems of classification of Fungi
• Gaspard Bauhin (1963) described about 100 fungi and placed them in some “groups”
• Pier A. Micheli (1719) first used the microscope to study these organisms.
• Some generic names used by Micheli (1719) are in use even today (Clavaria, Lycoperdon,
Geaster).
• Carl Linnaeus in his “Species Plantarum” (1753)placed fungi in 24th class “Cryptogamia”
• C.H. Persoon (1801) in his Synopsis Methodica Fungorium and F. Fries in his Systema
Mycologium also made some contributions in the field of taxonomy of Fungi.
• Tulasne(1861), de Bary (1887), Guilliermond (1913) and Gawmann(1926) also proposed
their own systems of classification of fungi
Classification Proposed by GC Ainsworth
 • Eukaryotic (with true nuclei)
• Achlorophyllous (without chlorophyll)
• Unicellular, or multicellular organisms
Kingdom : Fungi • microscopic or macroscopic in size
• Usually with cell walls and filaments
• Typically reproducing by spores produced asexually or sexually
• Walls containing chitin, cellulose, or both, among other
substances
• About 50,000 living species; fewer than 500 fossil species known.
Division: Myxomycota
• The definite cell wall is absent from their amoeba like
bodies
• Somatic Structure, a free-living plasmodium. i.e.,
Multinucleate mass of protoplasm without definite cell wall
• The entire plasmodium whose nuclei are diploid (2n)is
consumed in the formation of fructifications which bears
haploid (n) spores resulting from meiosis.
• Spores are provided with firm walls
• Flagellated cell are characteristically produced.
Division. Myxomycota:
Wall-less organisms possess either a Plasmodium (a mass of naked multinucleate
protoplasm having amoeboid movement) or a pseudoplasmodium (an aggregation of
separate amoeboid cells). Both are of slimy consistency, hence slime molds.
1. Class. Acrasiomycetes (cellular slime molds)
2. Class. Hydromyxomycetes (net slime molds)
3. Class. Myxomycetes (true slime molds)
4. Class. Plasmodiophoromycetes (endo- parasitic slime molds).
Class 1: Acrasiomycetes

• Somatic phase commonly consists of

amoeboid cells or myxamoebae.
• Myxamoebae aggregate to form a
pseudoplasmodium, which develops
fruit body.
• Lack of flagellated cells, except in
Pocheina rosea.
• Spore wall contains cellulose.
• Fruit bodies may be sorocarps (in
Dictyostelium) or sporocarp (in
Protostelium).
Class 2: Hydromyxomycetes

• Net plasmodium is present

• The thallus consists of uninucleate spindle shaped
cells, forming extensive filaments.
• The filaments are tubular and form net-like
structure, the net-plasmodium or filoplasmodium.
• Reproduction by cyst formation, zoospore
formation or by congregation.
Class 3: Myxomycetes

• The vegetative body is a free-living plasmodium.

• They feed on yeast cells, protozoa, fungal spores
and other substances.
• Reproduction takes place by asexual and sexual
means.
• a) Asexual reproduction takes place by
fragmentation of plasmodium or binary fission in
myxamoebae.
• (b) Sexual reproduction takes place by fusion
between flagellated zoospores or myxamoeba to
form zygote, from which multinucleate
plasmodium develops by mitotic divisions. They
develop different types of fructification. These are
sporangium, aethalium and plasmodiocarp.
• Meiosis takes place during spore formation in the
fructification
Class 4 Plasmodiophoromycetes
• Members of this class are obligate (i.e., biotrophic) parasites of
freshwater algae, aquatic fungi and higher plants (commonly in the
roots).
• Somatic body consists of a naked holocarpic plasmodium.
• Plasmodia are of two types in their life cycle: sporangiogenous
plasmodium (form sporangia) and cytogenous plasmodium (gives rise
to cysts i.e., resting spores).
• Zoospores biflagellate, having unequal flagella of whiplash type,
situated in opposite direction, the shorter one in anterior and longer
one in posterior side.
• The class consists of a single order Plasmodiophorales with a single
family Plasmodiophoraceae Example: Plasmodiophora brassicae
causes club-root of crucifer; Spongospora subterranea causes powdery
scab of potato.
Division: Eumycota
• Assimilative stage walled
• Typically, filamentous (a mycelium)
• Sometimes unicellular, usually eucarpic (having only
part of the thallus forming a fruiting structure)
• Asexual reproduction: by fission, budding,
fragmentation, or, more typically, by spores
• Sexual reproduction: by various means, usually
resulting in the formation of resting structures or
meiospores.
• There are 5 subdivisions
 • (Absence of plasmodium or pseudoplasmodium)
• Division Eumycota is divided into five subdivision
on the basis of formation of sexual spores or
asexual spores
1. Mastigomycotina
Eumycota 2. Zygomycotina
3. Ascomycotina
4. Basidiomycotina
5. Deuteromycotina
Subdivision 1: Mastigomycotina
• Fungi with centrioles
• Flagellate cells typically produced during the life cycle
• Nutrition typically absorptive
• Varying from unicellular that becomes converted into a sporangium, to an extensive,
filamentous, coenocytic mycelium
• Perfect spores are typically Oospores
• Asexual reproduction typically by zoospores
• Sexual reproduction by various means
Mastigomycotina division

1. Class. Chitridiomycetes (unicellular, zoospore with single whiplash flagellum).

2. Class. Hyphochytridiomycetes (unicellular, zoospore with single tinsel flagellum).

3. Class. Oomycetes (aseptate mycelium, zoospores with two flagella)

Class 1
Chytridiomycetes
• They are posteriorly uniflagellate fungi
• Unicellular or filamentous
• Holocarpic (having all of the thallus
involved in the formation of the fruiting
body) or Eucarpic
• Motile cells (zoospores or
planogametes) are produced
characterized by a single, posterior,
whiplash flagellum;
• Mostly aquatic fungi saprobic or
parasitic on algae, fungi, or, less often,
on flowering plants.
Class 2 Hyphochytridiomycetes
• Aquatic fungi
• Motile cell possess a single anterior tinsel flagellum(i.e., a flagellum with short side
branches along the central axis, comb-like).
• Parasitic on algae and fungi or saprobic on plant and insect debris in the water
• Single Order: Hypochytriales
• Order Hyphochytriales
• Characters of the class; about 15 species.
Class 3 Oomycetes
• Fungi with well developed coenocytic mycelium
• Aquatic, amphibious, or terrestrial fungi, Saprobic, facultatively
(occasionally) or obligately (invariably) parasitic on plants, a few on fish
• Reproduce Asexually by means of flagellate zoospores each bearing
one tensil flagellum directed forward and one whiplash flagellum
directed backwards.
• Zoospores formed in sporangia of various types.
• Perfect Spores Oospores
• Sexual reproduction usually by contact of differentiated gametangia
(gamete- or sex-cell-producing structures) with nuclei from the male
fertilizing differentiated eggs and resulting in thick-walled oospores
• Thallus probably diploid with meiosis occurring in the gametangia.
• 4 orders: 1.Saprolegniales 2. Leptomitales 3. Lagnidales 4.
Peronosporales
Subdivision 2: Zygomycotina
(mycelium aseptate, perfect state spore-zygospore).

1. Class. Zygomycetes (mycelium immersed in the host tissue).

2. Class. Trichomycetes (mycelium not immersed in the host tissue).

Zygomycetes

• Terrestrial saprobes or parasites of plants, animals, or

humans
• Well developed coenocytic or septate mycelium
• Asexual reproduction by aplanospores (nonmotile
spores) in sporangia or by conidia;
• Sexual reproduction resulting in the formation of a
resting spore formed by fusion of usually
morphologically similar gametangia.
• No motile cells are formed
• 3 Orders: 1. Mucorales, 2. Entomopthorales 3.
Zoopagales
Tricomycetes

• Commensals (organisms living parasitically on another

organism but conferring some benefit in return, or at
least not harming the host) with a filamentous thallus
attached by a holdfast or basal cell to the digestive
tract or external cuticle of living arthropods
• Asexual reproduction by sporangiospores (a spore
borne within a sporangium), trichospores (zoospores or
ciliated spores), arthrospores (a spore resulting from
fragmentation of a hypha), or amoeboid cells
• 5 Orders. Amoebidiales, Eccrinales, Asellariales,
Harpellales
Ascomycotina
• Saprobic or parasitic on plants, animals, or humans
• Some are unicellular but most are filamentous, the hyphae septate
with 1, rarely more, perforations in the septa
• Cells uninucleate or multinucleate
• Asexual reproduction by fission, budding, fragmentation, or, more
typically, by conidia usually produced on special sporiferous (spore-
producing) hyphae, the conidiophores, which are borne loosely on
somatic (main-body) hyphae or variously assembled in asexual fruiting
bodies
• Sexual reproduction by various means resulting in the production of
meiosphores (ascospores) formed by free-cell formation in saclike
structures (asci), which are produced naked or, more typically, are
assembled in characteristic open or closed fruiting bodies (ascocarps);
among the largest and most commonly known ascomycetes are the
morels, cup fungi, saddle fungi, and truffles.
• 3 Subclasses 1. Hemiascomycetidae, 2. Euascomycetidae 3.
Loculoascomycetidae
Subdivision. Ascomycotina
Subdivision. Ascomycotina (yeasts or septate mycelium, perfect
state spore- ascospores formed in ascus, usually within ascocarp).
1. Class. Hemiascomycetes (no ascocarp, asci naked).
2. Class. Loculoascomycetes (fruit body an ascostroma, asci
bitunicate i.e., 2-walled).
3. Class. Plectomycetes (fruit body cleistothecium, asci
unitunicate i.e., 1-walled).
4. Class. Laboulbeniomycetes (fruit body perithecium, asci
unitunicate, exoparasite of arthopods).
5. Class. Pyrenomycetes (fruit body perithecium, asci unitunicate,
not parasitic on arthopods.
6. Class. Discomycetes (fruit body apothecium, asci unitunicate).
Hemiascomycetes

• Asci naked, formed from single cells or on hyphae

• No ascocarps or ascogenous hyphae produced.
• Saprobic or parasitic.
• 3 Order Protomycetales, Endomycetales, Taphrinales
Loculomycetes

• Ascus bitunicate; ascocarp an

• Ascostroma
• (fruit body an ascostroma, asci bitunicate i.e., 2-walled).
Plectomycetes

fruit body cleistothecium,

asci unitunicate i.e., 1-
walled
Laboulbeniomy
cetes

fruit body perithecium,

asci unitunicate,
exoparasite of arthopods).
Pyrenomycetes

• fruit body perithecium, asci unitunicate, not parasitic on

arthopods.
Discomycetes
• fruit body apothecium,
asci unitunicate
Basidiomycotina
• Sexually produced spores, basidiospores, formed exogenously on a specialized organ,
the basidium , in which karyogamy and meiosis occurs.
• Saprobic or parasitic on plants or insects
• Filamentous, hyphae septate, the septa typically inflated (dolipore) and centrally
perforated
• Mycelium 2 types, primary of uninucleate cells, succeeded by secondary, consisting of
dikaryotic cells, this often-bearing bridge like clamp connections over the septa
• Asexual reproduction by fragmentation, oidia (thin-walled, free, hyphal cells behaving
as spores), or conidia
• Sexual reproduction by fusion of hyphae (somatogamy), fusion of an oidium with a
hyphaor fusion of a spermatium (a nonmotile male structure that empties its contents
into a receptive female structure during plasmogamy—a kind of gamete) with a
specialized receptive hypha (spermatization), resulting in dikaryotic hyphae that
eventually give rise to basidia, either singly on the hyphae or in variously shaped
basidiocarps
• Meiospores (basidiospores) borne on basidia; in the rusts (Uredinales) and smuts
(Ustilaginales), the dikaryotic hyphae produce teleutospores (thick-walled resting
spores), which are a part of the basidial apparatus
• This is a large class of fungi containing the rusts, smuts, jelly fungi, club fungi, coral
and shelf fungi, mushrooms, puffballs, stinkhorns, and bird’s-nest fungi.
Basidiomycotina

1. Class. Teliomycetes. Basidiocarp lacking,

teliospores grouped in sori or scattered within
the host tissue, parasitic on vascular plant.

2. Class. Hymenomycetes. Basidio- carp present.

Hymenium is completely or partly exposed at
maturity. Basidiospore ballistospores.

3. Class. Gasteromycetes. Basidiocarp present.

Hymenium enclosed in basidiocarp. Basidiospore
not ballistospores.
Teliomycetes

Basidiocarps absent, basidium

arising from thick walled
probasidium , a
teleutospore,teleutosori on
host tissue, parasitic on
vascular plants
Orders:
1. Uredinales
2. Ustilaginales
Hymenomycetes

• Basidium
• Phragmobasidium
PHRAGMOBASIDIOMYCETIDAE
• 1.Tremellales
• 2. Auriculariales
• 3. Septobasidiales
Class. Gasteromycetes

• . Basidiocarp present. Hymenium

enclosed in basidiocarp. Basidiospore
not ballistospores.
Deuteromycotina

Subdivision. Deuteromycotina or
Fungi imperfecti. Yeast or septate
mycelium. Perfect state unknown.

1. Blastomycetes
2. Hypomycetes
3. Coleomycetes
Deuteromycotina

1. Class. Blastomycetes. Budding (Yeast or

Yeast like) cells with or without
pseudomycelium. True mycelium lacking
or not well-developed.
2. Class. Hyphomycetes. Mycelia sterile or
bearing asexual spore directly or on
conidiophore, in various aggregation.
3. Class. Coelomycetes. Mycelial; asexual
spore formed in pycnidium or acervulus.
Blastomycetes

• Without pseudomycelium or
pseudomycelium
• with yeast-like budding cells; true
mycellium
• absent or underdeveloped
Hypomycetes

• Mycelium developed assimilatory

• budding cells absent
• Sterile mycelium, spores borne on
• sporophores, sporophores may be
• grouped together, but pycnia and
• acervuli are not formed
• 2 Orders
• 1. Moniliales
• 2. Mycelia sterilia
Coleomycetes
• Spores or conidia formed in
• pycnidia or acervuli
• 2 orders
• 1. Melanconiales
• 2. Sphaeropsidales
Thank You