Mushrooms are a kind of fungal reproductive structure

Mycology (from the Greek , muks, meaning "fungus") is the branch of biology concerned with the study of fungi, including their geneticand biochemical properties, their taxonomy and their use to humans as a source for tinder, medicinals (e.g., penicillin), food (e.g., beer, wine,cheese, edible mushrooms) and entheogens, as well as their dangers, such as poisoning or infection. From mycology arose the field of phytopathology, the study of plant diseases, and the two disciplines remain closely related because the vast majority of "plant" pathogens are fungi. A biologist who studies mycology is called a mycologist. Historically, mycology was a branch of botany because, although fungi are evolutionarily more closely related to animals than to plants, this was not recognized until a few decades ago. Pioneer mycologists included Elias Magnus Fries, Christian Hendrik Persoon, Anton de Bary andLewis David von Schweinitz. Many fungi produce toxins, antibiotics and other secondary metabolites. For example the cosmopolitan (worldwide) genus Fusarium and their toxins associated with fatal outbreaks of alimentary toxic aleukia in humans were extensively studied by Abraham Joffe. Fungi are fundamental for life on earth in their roles as symbionts, e.g. in the form of mycorrhizae, insect symbionts and lichens . Many fungi are able to break down complex organic biomolecules such as lignin, the more durable component of wood, and pollutants such asxenobiotics, petroleum, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. By decomposing these molecules, fungi play a critical role in the global carbon cycle. Fungi and other organisms traditionally recognized as fungi, such as oomycetes and myxomycetes (slime molds), often are economically and socially important as some cause diseases of animals (such as histoplasmosis) as well as plants (such as Dutch elm disease and Rice blast). Field meetings to find interesting species of fungi are known as 'forays', after the first such meeting organized by the Woolhope Naturalists' Field Club in 1868 and entitled "a foray among the fungi." Some fungi can cause disease in humans or other organisms. The study of pathogenic fungi is referred to as medical mycology.[1]

Contents
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1 History 2 Medicinal mycology 3 See also 4 Notes 5 References 6 External links

[edit]History
Humans probably started collecting mushrooms as food in Prehistoric times. Mushrooms were first written about in the works of Euripides (480-406 B.C.). The Greek philosopherTheophrastos of Eressos (371-288 B.C.) was perhaps the first to try to systematically classify plants; mushrooms were considered to be plants that were missing certain organs. It was later Pliny the elder (2379 A.D.), who wrote about truffles in his encyclopedia Naturalis historia. The Middle Ages saw little advancement in the body of knowledge about fungi. Rather, the invention of the printing press allowed some authors to disseminate superstitions and misconceptions about the fungi that had been perpetuated by the classical authors.[2]

Fungi and truffles are neither herbs, nor roots, nor flowers, nor seeds, but merely the superfluous moisture or earth, of trees, or rotten wood, and of other rotting things. This is plain from the fact that all fungi and truffles, especially those that are used for eating, grow most commonly in thundery and wet weather.

Jerome Bock (Hieronymus Tragus), 1552[3]

The start of the modern age of mycology begins with Pier Antonio Micheli's 1737 publication of Nova plantarum genera.[4]Published in Florence, this seminal work laid the foundations for the systematic classification of grasses, mosses and fungi. The term mycology and the complementary mycologist were first used in 1836 by M.J. Berkeley.[5]

[edit]Medicinal

mycology

Main article: Medicinal mushrooms For centuries, certain mushrooms have been documented as a folk medicine in China, Japan, and Russia.[6] Although the use of mushrooms in folk medicine is largely centered on the Asian continent, people in other parts of the world like theMiddle East, Poland and Belarus have been documented using mushrooms for medicinal purposes.[7][8] Certain mushrooms, especially polypores like Reishi were thought

to be able to benefit a wide variety of health ailments. Medicinal mushroom research in the United States is currently active, with studies taking place at City of Hope National Medical Center,[9][10] as well as the Memorial SloanKettering Cancer Center.[11] Current research focuses on mushrooms that may have hypoglycemic activity, anti-cancer activity, antipathogenic activity, and immune system enhancing activity. Recent research has found that the oyster mushroom naturally contains the cholesterol-lowering drug lovastatin,[12] mushrooms produce large amounts of vitamin D when exposed to UV light,[13] and that certain fungi may be a future source of taxol.[14] To date, penicillin, lovastatin, ciclosporin, griseofulvin, cephalosporin, ergometrine, and statins are the most famous pharmaceuticals which have been isolated from the fungi kingdom.

[edit]See

also

Mycotoxicology List of mycologists List of mycology journals Pathogenic fungi Fungal Biochemical Tests Protistology Medicinal mushrooms Mushroom hunting

[edit]Notes

Home Plant Pathology

Division of Plant Pathology

About the Division

FAX: 011-25840772 E-mail: head_patho@iari.res.in

The Division of Plant Pathology is nearly 100 years old. It was originally established in 1905 as Mycology section of Imperial Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) at Pusa, Bihar to initiate mycological and plant pathological research in India. The sectional status was raised to the status of Division of Mycology in 1943-44 after the Institute was shifted to New Delhi. Subsequently, it was named as Division of Mycology and Plant Pathology in 1947-48 and later it was designated as Division of Plant Pathology. Two Regional Stations were established at Pune (Maharashtra) and Kalimpong (West Bengal) in 1956 and 1939 as the nucleus of research on plant viruses. Detection of pathogens, diagnosis of diseases and ultimately management of disease risks have been the main fabric of Divisional research. The Division has evolved over the years with four major sections, i.e., Mycology, Fungal Pathology, Bacteriology and Virology. Herbarium Cryptogamae Indiae Orientalis (HCIO) and Indian Type Culture Collection (ITCC), Center for Advanced Studies, (CAS) in Plant Pathology and Referrel Center for virus testing of tissue culture raised plants are its "Life Lines". The Division has highly trained scientific, technical and field staff. It has well equipped laboratories to work on diagnosis and characterization of plant pathogens, electron microscopy, cloning of genomes, electrophoresis, sequencing, use of PCR in disease diagnosis, tissue culture, plant transformation etc. The mandate of the Division are

To conduct basic and applied research leading to detection, identification and management of plant pathogens To serve as a Centre for academic excellence in the area of Post-Graduate education in Plant Pathology To provide national leadership in plant pathological research through the development of new concepts and technologies

The pace of research on fungi has been accelerating over the past decade. As a result, molecular, biochemical and cell biological studies have opened up new areas of investigation for many of the most important fungal pathogens of crop plants. Similarly, these approaches have provided new information on fungal pathogens of animals and insects, and on fungal endophytes. The collection of chapters in this book provides an excellent update on recent progress for many of the important plant pathogenic fungi that either cause significant economic problems or that serve as useful experimental organisms for gaining general insights. The inclusion of chapters on other fungi will allow readers to make comparisons and draw parallels between a variety of pathogens. In this regard, this book provides a unique perspective that will be valuable to a wide range of readers from senior undergraduates to senior investigators.

Pathogenic fungi
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Pathogenic fungi are fungi that cause disease in humans or other organisms. The study of pathogenic fungi is referred to as medical mycology. Although fungi are eukaryotic organisms many pathogenic fungi are also microorganisms.[1]
Contents
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1 Candida 2 Aspergillus 3 Cryptococcus 4 Histoplasma 5 Pneumocystis 6 Stachybotrys 7 Drug resistance 8 Endothermy 9 See also 10 External links 11 References

[edit]Candida

Candida. Pap test specimen. Pap stain.

Candida species are important human pathogens that are best known for causing opportunist infections in immunocompromised hosts (e.g. transplant patients, AIDS sufferers, cancer patients). Infections are difficult to treat and can be very serious: 30-40% of systemic infections result in death.[citation needed] The sequencing of the genome of C. albicans and those of several other medically-relevant Candida species has provided a major impetus for Candida comparative and functional genomic analyses. These studies are aiding the development of sensitive diagnostic strategies and novel antifungal therapies. [2]

[edit]Aspergillus

Aspergillosis. H&E stain.

Aerosolized Aspergillus spores are found nearly everywhere so we are routinely and almost constantly exposed to them. Such exposure is a normal part of the human condition and generally poses no adverse health effects. Nevertheless, Aspergillus can and does cause disease in three major ways: through the production of mycotoxins; through induction of allergenic responses; and through localized or systemic infections. With the latter two categories, the immune status of the host is pivotal. Allergies and asthma are thought to be caused by an active host immune response against the presence of fungal spores or hyphae. In contrast, with invasive aspergillosis, the immune system has collapsed and little or no defence can be mounted.[3] The most common pathogenic species are Aspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillus flavus. Aspergillus flavus produces aflatoxin which is both a toxin and a carcinogen and which can potentially contaminate foods such as nuts. Aspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillus clavatus can causeallergic disease. Some Aspergillus species cause disease on grain crops, especially maize, and synthesize mycotoxins including aflatoxin . Aspergillosis is the group of diseases caused by Aspergillus. The symptoms include fever, cough, chest pain or breathlessness. Usually, only patients with weakened immune systems or with other lung conditions are susceptible.[1][3]:)

[edit]Cryptococcus

Cryptococcus. FNA specimen. Field stain.

Cryptococcus neoformans can cause a severe form of meningitis and meningo-encephalitis in patients with HIV infection and AIDS. The majority of Cryptococcus species live in the soil and do not cause disease in humans. Cryptococcus neoformans is the major human and animal pathogen. Cryptococcus laurentii and Cryptococcus albidus have been known to occasionally cause moderate-to-severe disease in human patients with compromised immunity. Cryptococcus gattii is endemic to tropical parts of the continent of Africa and Australia and can cause disease in non-immunocompromised people.[1]

[edit]Histoplasma

Histoplasmosis. PASD stain.

Histoplasma capsulatum can cause histoplasmosis in humans, dogs and cats. The fungus is most prevalent in the Americas, India and southeastern Asia. It is endemic in certain areas of the United States. Infection is usually due to inhaling contaminated air.

[edit]Pneumocystis
Pneumocystis jirovecii (or Pneumocystis carinii) can cause a form of pneumonia in people with weakened immune systems, such as premature children, the elderly, and AIDS patients.[4]

[edit]Stachybotrys
Stachybotrys chartarum or "black mold" can cause respiratory damage and severe headaches. It frequently occurs in houses in regions that are chronically damp.

[edit]Drug

resistance

Treatment with antifungal drugs often results in the appearance of resistant strains of fungi. Various mechanisms leading to resistance have been described. For example, a number of resistant clinical isolates overexpress genes encoding drug efflux pumps. Recent advances in molecular biology have

allowed the study of the phenomenon of multi-drug resistance on a genome-wide scale. DNA microarrays are being used to study the expression profiling of pathogenic fungi and proteomics is aiding research in the development of resistance to various antifungal drugs.
[5]

[edit]Endothermy
Mammalian endothermy and homeothermy are potent nonspecific defenses against most fungi.[6]

[edit]See

also

http://www.doctorfungus.org/