PEET: Monographic Research on the Zoosporic Fungi, Chytridiomycetes

9978094鲍威尔、波特和朗科尔被称为chytrids的微小水生真菌最近受到了恶名，因为一种新的寄生物种(由合作者PiJoyce Longcore博士描述)与世界各地两栖动物数量的下降有关。对这种微生物的地位和作用的困惑突显了对这些真菌的分类知识的匮乏，这些真菌现在是这一重大研究和培训项目的重点。一个“chytrid联合体”结合了美国顶尖研究人员的人才，将形态、培养、超微结构(电子显微镜)和分子DNA测序技术应用于这些具有生态意义的微生物的分类、鉴定和系统发育问题。最近对传统上公认的“藻类”不同成员的18S核糖体DNA序列进行的分子系统发育分析表明了这一组的多系性质，并有助于划分出更自然的菊科真菌组合，可能包括世界上描述的1500个左右的物种。计划对实验室培养的菌株和新的野外采集进行研究，以调查形态、超微结构和分子特征，为种和属水平的鉴别提供可靠的诊断特征。该项目的成果包括：合胞菌目内自然群体的全面分类专著，网上提供的基于图像的交互式识别检索表，以及为这些生物体的长期储存和培养开发新的冷冻保存方法，以供未来的分子和生物技术研究。Chytrid联盟包括阿拉巴马大学、佐治亚州大学和缅因州大学的专家，以及在现代系统学实践和理论方面拥有额外专业知识的同事，他们都将参加研究生和本科生水平的真菌学培训。一年一度的研讨会将突出最新的科学和技术发展，并将包括陶森州立大学的丹尼尔·乌巴博士所做的工作，他专门研究真菌在动物肠道中作为寄生虫和共生体的适应。成果和产品的传播将建立在缅因州大学目前维护的世界游动孢子菌网站的基础上。

9978094Powell, Porter and Longcore The microscopic aquatic fungi known as chytrids have recently received notoriety because a new parasitic species (described by co-PI Dr. Joyce Longcore) is implicated in the population decline of amphibians in various parts of the world. Confusion over the status and role of this organism has highlighted the poor state of taxonomic knowledge of these fungi, which are now the focus of this major research and training project. A "chytrid consortium" combines the talents of the leading researchers in the U.S. to apply morphological, culturing, ultrastructural (electron microscopy), and molecular DNA sequencing technologies to problems of classification, identification, and phylogeny of these ecologically interesting microbes. Recent molecular phylogenetic analyses of 18S ribosomal DNA sequences from various members of the traditionally recognized "phycomycetes" have demonstrated the polyphyletic nature of this group, and have helped delimit a more natural assemblage of chytrid fungi, possibly encompassing 1500 or so described species in the world. Studies of laboratory-cultured strains and new field collections are planned, to investigate morphological, ultrastructural, and molecular features that yield reliable diagnostic characters for species- and genus-level discrimination. Outcomes of the project include comprehensive taxonomic monographs of natural groups within the order Chytridiales, an interactive and image-based identification key available on the Web, and the development of new cryopreservation methods for long-term storage and culturing of these organisms, for future molecular and biotechnological studies. The chytrid consortium includes specialists at the universities of Alabama, Georgia, and Maine, along with colleagues with additional expertise in modern systematics practice and theory, all of whom will participate in mycological training at graduate and undergraduate levels. A series of yearly workshops will highlight recent scientific and technological developments, and will incorporate work done by Dr. Daniel Wubah at Towson State University, who specializes on fungi adapted as parasites and commensals in the intestines of animals. Dissemination of results and products will build upon a website currently maintained at the University of Maine for the zoosporic fungi of the world.