Clavicipitaceae

Ear of rye ergot

Ergot fungus relatives ( Clavicipitaceae ), are a family of the Department of ascomycetes ( Ascomycota ) from the kingdom of fungi (Fungi ). Ergot fungus relatives live as parasites or symbionts in particular on plants, fungi or insects. The type genus are the ergot fungus ( Claviceps ).

Features

Ergot fungus relatives live as parasites and symbionts in communion with beings of different biological kingdoms. Many members of this family live endophytic fungus in and on rare epiphytic plants. Particularly affected are grasses, but also piercing wind plants, Pinaceae and wind plants. On the other hand, numerous members of the genera Aschersonia, Hypocrella, Regiocrella, Orbiocrella, Conoideocrella, Metarhizium, and Torrubiella Metacordyceps insects infesting parasites. They are such as Metarhizium anisopliae, Paecilomyces fumosoroseus and Aschersonia aleyrodes, used for insect control. Turn Verticillium epiphytum lives on other fungi. In addition, have some representatives of the family of the ergot fungus relatives, such as occurring in the soil Chaunopycnis alba, pronounced saprobiontische properties. Developmentally, the family of the ergot fungus relatives is characterized by several changes of owners of different biological kingdoms.

Ergot fungus relatives are producers of some of the unique secondary metabolites, in particular toxic alkaloids. Among the alkaloids produced by Mutterkornpilzverwanten include, in particular, responsible for the increasing incidence in the Middle Ages St. Anthony's fire ergot alkaloids, the neurotoxic Lolitreme and the predominantly insecticidally acting Lolinalkaloide and Peramin. They serve the mushrooms and in part to the plant host as a defense mechanism.

Some members of the family of the ergot fungus relatives reproduce exclusively asexually. These include in particular the so-called anamorphic genera Aschersonia, Chamaelomyces, Chaunopycnis, Ephelis, Mariannaea, Metarhizium, Neotyphodium, Nomuraea, Paecilomyces, Pochonia, Sphacelia and Tolypocladium.

System

The ergot fungus relatives family has long been considered monophyletic. It was compared with the closely related families, especially the crust ball mushroom relatives ( Hypocreaceae ) delimited. Notwithstanding prepared the allocation of certain genres, such as the representatives of the Ustilaginoideae problems. Phylogenetic analysis indicated out that this family is a paraphyletic taxon which can be divided into three clades. Finally, a new order with a spin-off of many species has been proposed in the family of Cordycipitaceae and in the newly created family of Ophiocordycipitaceae 2007. The so- localized family of ergot fungus relatives in the narrower sense ( Clavicipitaceae s.str. ) Is represented by only one of the original three clades.

The family of the ergot fungus relatives in the narrow sense are currently associated with about 400 species in 38 genera.