Systematics of the Dothideomycetes

Dothideomycetes是最大的真菌门Ascomycota中最大和最多样化的纲之一。它包含一组不同的真菌，作为一般的saprobes，植物和人类病原体，真菌寄生虫，真菌，地衣以及水生和海洋真菌而生存。很少有其他真核生物群体拥有这种巨大的生态多样性。该类群中最著名的成员是导致严重作物损失的植物病原体，但大多数Dothideomycetes的系统发育关系知之甚少。一个清晰的进化史尤其重要，因为它为理解真菌如何适应新的环境和营养模式提供了框架。一个动态的进化历史反映在Dothideomycetes的生态。该纲的生态多样性可能暗示了所有真菌中未揭示的相似性，或者它可能揭示了这些群体中的每一个适应环境的独特方式。因此，Dothideomycetes提供了一个很好的系统，以了解环境适应。通过使用一个广泛的方法来采样组，本研究的目的是解决古老的关系，同时扩大类中的物种多样性的知识。该项目将依靠国际合作，并将有关遗传学，植物病理学，系统学和分类学的数据联系起来。结果将通过研讨会、出版物和互联网进行传播。

Dothideomycetes is one of the largest and most diverse classes within the largest fungal phylum, Ascomycota. It contains a diverse group of fungi that subsist as general saprobes, plant and human pathogens, fungal parasites, mycorrhizae, lichens, and aquatic and marine fungi. Few other eukaryotic groups share this enormous ecological diversity. The best-known members of the group are plant pathogens that cause serious crop losses, but the majority of Dothideomycetes phylogenetic relationships are poorly known. A well-resolved evolutionary history is especially important because it provides the framework for understanding how fungi change in adapting to new environments and nutritional modes. A dynamic evolutionary history is reflected in the ecology of the Dothideomycetes. The ecological diversity of the class may hint at an unrevealed similarity in all fungi or it may reveal the unique ways that each of these groups adapt to the environment. As such, the Dothideomycetes provide an excellent system to gain insight into environmental adaptation. By using a broad approach to sampling in the group, this study aims to address ancient relationships while simultaneously expanding the knowledge of species diversity in the class. The project will rely on international collaboration and will link data generated about genetics, plant pathology, systematics, and taxonomy. Results will be communicated by workshops, publications, and the internet.