Pleomorphic conidiation in Claviceps

Phylogenetic study of clavicipitaceous fungi using acetaldehyde dehydrogenase gene sequences

“…take are different from those of Claviceps. Claviceps species are characterized as follows: (1) typically possessing enteroblastic conidia (anamorph Sphacelia) associated with honeydew production and often possessing holoblastic secondary conidia (Pazoutova et al 2004); (2) infecting fl orets of grasses and replacing the host ovules with a sclerotium; and (3) forming stipitate ascostromata arising from sclerotia. Aciculosporium take is characterized as follows: (1) possessing two types of conidia: three-celled fi liform conidia with swollen ends, and two-celled holoblastic macroconidia with two dichotomously branched apical appendages that separate by breaking at the middle septum, with new germination occurring from the basal end (Tsuda et al 1997);…”

“…It produces sclerotia in fl orets of infected plants, produces stipitate ascostromata from sclerotia, and has two anamorphs, one of which produces holoblastic conidia with apical branched appendages (Walker 2004). Pazoutova et al (2004) showed that these Aciculosporium, Neoclaviceps, and Cepsiclava species could be grouped together, and this group is related to Claviceps on the basis of ITS sequences. In conclusion, the results of the present study also strongly suggest that Aciculosporium is phylogenetically related to Claviceps rather than Balansia.…”

Genomes of Plant-Associated Clavicipitaceae

“…Some (e.g. Claviceps species and Neoclaviceps monostipa) replace host seeds with their fruiting structures (Pažoutová, Kolarik, & Kolinska, 2004;Tudzynski & Scheffer, 2004), while others (Metarhizium species) are plant root associates and insect pathogens (Gao et al, 2011). Many form systemic (endophytic) associations throughout host shoots but fruit in a highly localized manner on leaves, nodes, buds, or inflorescences.…”

“…Many form systemic (endophytic) associations throughout host shoots but fruit in a highly localized manner on leaves, nodes, buds, or inflorescences. Such systemic associations characterize Aciculosporium (Tanaka & Tanaka, 2008), Atkinsonella (Leuchtmann & Clay, 1989), Balansia (Diehl, 1950), Ephelis (Tanaka & Tanaka, 2008), Epichloe¨ (Leuchtmann, Bacon, Schardl, White, & Tadych, 2014), Heteroepichloe¨ (Tanaka & Tanaka, 2008), Myriogenospora (Glenn, Rykard, Bacon, & Hanlin, 1998), and Parepichloe¨ (White & Reddy, 1998) species and possibly also Cepsiclava phalaridis (Walker, 2004), Corallocytostroma species (Pažoutová et al, 2004), Neoclaviceps monostipa (White & Reddy, 1998), and Nigrocornus scleroticus (Ryley, 2003). Some species grow in intercellular spaces (endobiotic growth), whereas others are restricted to surfaces of, and spaces between, plant tissue layers (epibiotic growth).…”

“…It seems somewhat ironic, then, that sexual Epichloe¨species fruit on immature host inflorescences and arrest their development, thereby preventing seed production from the symptomatic tillers. This phenomenon, known as "choke disease", also occurs on most or all reproductive tillers of grasses infected with Atkinsonella or Corallocytostroma species (Pažoutová et al, 2004) and on grasses and sedges (Cyperaceae) infected with certain Balansia and Ephelis species (Diehl, 1950;Tanaka & Tanaka, 2008). What is remarkable about the sexual Epichloe¨species is that, in most infected hosts, the majority of reproductive tillers are completely asymptomatic and give rise to normal seeds bearing the fungal symbiont.…”