The fungal
genus ''Cochliobolus'' includes 55
species, including the following
plant pathogenic
Plant pathology (also phytopathology) is the scientific study of diseases in plants caused by pathogens (infectious organisms) and environmental conditions (physiological factors). Organisms that cause infectious disease include fungi, oomyc ...
species: ''
C. carbonum'', ''
C. heterostrophus'', ''
C. miyabeanus'', ''
C. sativus'' and ''
C. lunatus''.
Heterothallism and homothallism
Those
fungi that need a partner to mate are referred to as
heterothallic (self-sterile), and those fungi not needing a partner are referred to as
homothallic (self-fertile). A study of
DNA sequences of
mating type loci from different heterothallic and homothallic species in the genus ''Cochliobolus'' suggests that homothallism can be derived from heterothallism by
recombination.
[Yun SH1, Berbee ML, Yoder OC, Turgeon BG. Evolution of the fungal self-fertile reproductive life style from self-sterile ancestors. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1999 May 11;96(10):5592-7. PMCID: PMC21905 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.96.10.5592]
Brief species information
* ''
Cochliobolus carbonum
''Cochliobolus carbonum'' (anamorph: ''Helminthosporium carbonum'') is one of more than 40 species of filamentous ascomycetes belonging to the genus ''Cochliobolus'' (anamorph: ''Bipolaris/Curvularia''). This pathogen has a worldwide distributi ...
'', affects corn and maize.
* ''
Cochliobolus heterostrophus
''Cochliobolus heterostrophus'' is a fungal plant pathogen. It can cause southern corn leaf blight in maize.
''Cochliobolus heterostrophus'' is found in many tropical regions and in the southern part of the US. ''Cochliobolus'', although not ...
'', "southern corn blight," affects corn and maize.
* ''
Cochliobolus lunatus
''Cochliobolus lunatus'' is a fungal plant pathogen that can cause disease in humans and other animals. The anamorph of this fungus is known as ''Curvularia lunata'', while ''Cochliobolus lunatus'' denotes the teleomorph or sexual state. They a ...
'', affects sugar cane.
* ''
Cochliobolus stenospilus
''Cochliobolus stenospilus'' is a fungal plant pathogen that causes the disease "brown stripe" in sugar cane
Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of (often hybrid) tall, perennial grass (in the genus '' Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) t ...
'', "brown stripe," affects sugar cane.
See also
*
Phytopathology
Plant pathology (also phytopathology) is the scientific study of diseases in plants caused by pathogens (infectious organisms) and environmental conditions (physiological factors). Organisms that cause infectious disease include fungi, oomyc ...
References
Fungal plant pathogens and diseases
{{Pleosporales stub