Molecular Systematics and Evolution of Simple-Septate Basidomycetes

在大约16000种担子菌真菌中，我们所熟悉的蘑菇、泡球菌和托架菌都是没有明显的子实体，但具有微观孢子结构的真菌。尽管这里包括许多经济上重要的作物病原体和生态上重要的腐坏菌群，但对这些众多真菌形式的分类关系研究甚少。此外，这些真菌之间以及与子囊菌真菌之间的系统发育或系谱亲缘关系尚不清楚。新的分子DNA测序方法有望提供大量的比较数据，与当前形态学和超微结构的发现相结合，最终进行分类和系统发育综合。明尼苏达大学的David McLaughlin博士和博士后Eric Swann博士已经开始了一项重大项目，以获取异担子菌众多简单分离群体代表的DNA序列数据，并将这些新的分子数据与传统的分类特征相结合。对这些真菌的分子系统发育分析对于提高对主要进化路线的分类认识，解决长期以来关于担子菌的起源和腐坏和致病类群的形态多样化的争议有很大的希望。

9318232 McLaughlin Among the estimated 16,000 species of basidiomycete fungi, the familiar mushrooms and puffballs and bracket fungi of the world, are forms without conspicuous fruiting bodies but possessing microscopic spore-bearing structures. The taxonomic relationships of these numerous fungal forms are little studied, although many economically important crop pathogens and ecologically significant saprobic groups are included here. As well, the phylogenetic or genealogical affinities of these fungi, among themselves and with the ascomycete fungi, are poorly known. New molecular methods of DNA sequencing promise large quantities of comparative data for integration with current morphological and ultrastructural findings for eventual taxonomic and phylogenetic synthesis. Dr. David McLaughlin at the University of Minnesota and postdoctoral associate Dr. Eric Swann have started a major project to acquire DNA sequence data for numerous representatives of the simple septate groups of Heterobasidiomycetes, and to integrate these new molecular data with traditional taxonomic characters. Molecular phylogenetic analyses of the fungi hold great promise for improving taxonomic recognition of the major lines of evolution and for resolving longstanding controversies about the origin and morphological diversification of saprobic and pathogenic groups of basidiomycetes.