Cunninghamella is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

fungi A fungus (: fungi , , , or ; or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and mold (fungus), molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as one ...

in the order

Mucorales The Mucorales is the largest and best-studied order of zygomycete fungi. Members of this order are sometimes called pin molds. The term mucormycosis is now preferred for infections caused by molds belonging to the order Mucorales. Systematic ...

, and the family

Cunninghamellaceae The ''Cunninghamellaceae'' are a family of fungi in the order Mucorales. Taxonomy At one time, this family contained four genera.Hesseltine C. W. & J. J. Ellis. 1973. Mucorales. ''in'': The Fungi: An Advanced Treatise. Volume 5B. A Taxonomic Rev ...

. The genus was

circumscribed In geometry, a circumscribed circle for a set of points is a circle passing through each of them. Such a circle is said to ''circumscribe'' the points or a polygon formed from them; such a polygon is said to be ''inscribed'' in the circle. * Circum ...

by French

mycologist Mycology is the branch of biology concerned with the study of fungi, including their taxonomy, genetics, biochemical properties, and use by humans. Fungi can be a source of tinder, food, traditional medicine, as well as entheogens, poison, and ...

Alphonse Louis Paul Matruchot in Ann. Mycol. Vol.1 on page 47 in 1903. The genus name of ''Cunninghamella'' is in honour of

David Douglas Cunningham David Douglas Cunningham (29 September 1843 – 31 December 1914) was a Scottish medical doctor and researcher who worked extensively in India on various aspects of public health and medicine. He studied the spread of bacteria and the spores o ...

(1843–1914), who was a Scottish doctor and researcher who worked extensively in India on various aspects of public health and medicine.

Species

Index Fungorum ''Index Fungorum'' is an international project to index all formal names (scientific names) in the fungus kingdom. As of 2015, the project is based at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, one of three partners along with Landcare Research and th ...

lists 13 valid species of ''Cunninghamella'': *'' Cunninghamella bertholletiae'' *'' Cunninghamella binarieae'' R.Y.Zheng 2001 *'' Cunninghamella blakesleeana'' *'' Cunninghamella candida'' Yosh.Yamam. 1929 *'' Cunninghamella clavata'' R.Y.Zheng & G.Q.Chen 1998 *'' Cunninghamella echinulata'' ( Thaxt.) Thaxt. ex Blakeslee 1905 *''

Cunninghamella elegans ''Cunninghamella elegans'' is a species of fungus in the genus ''Cunninghamella'' found in soil. It can be grown in Raymond Sabouraud, Sabouraud dextrose broth, a liquid medium used for cultivation of yeasts and molds from liquid which are norma ...

'' Lendn. 1905 *'' Cunninghamella homothallica'' Komin. & Tubaki 1952 *'' Cunninghamella intermedia'' K.B.Deshp. &

Mantri Mantri is a word of Sanskrit origin (meaning List of types of spiritual teachers, sage, i.e. the "person who thinks and says" in that language, cf. Mantra), and it is used for a variety of public offices, from fairly humble to ministerial in rank. ...

1966 *'' Cunninghamella multiverticillata'' R.Y.Zheng & G.Q. Chen 2001 *'' Cunninghamella phaeospora'' Boedijn 1959 *'' Cunninghamella polymorpha'' Pišpek 1929 *'' Cunninghamella septata'' R.Y.Zheng 2001 *'' Cunninghamella vesiculosa'' P.C.Misra 1966

Uses

Members of this genus are often used in studies investigating the metabolism of drugs, because these species metabolize a wide range of drugs in manners similar to mammalian enzyme systems. Many species are also capable of oxidizing

polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon A Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) is any member of a class of organic compounds that is composed of multiple fused aromatic rings. Most are produced by the incomplete combustion of organic matter— by engine exhaust fumes, tobacco, incine ...

s, a class of stable organic molecules that tends to persist in the environment and contains many known

carcinogen A carcinogen () is any agent that promotes the development of cancer. Carcinogens can include synthetic chemicals, naturally occurring substances, physical agents such as ionizing and non-ionizing radiation, and biologic agents such as viruse ...

ic and

mutagen In genetics, a mutagen is a physical or chemical agent that permanently changes genetic material, usually DNA, in an organism and thus increases the frequency of mutations above the natural background level. As many mutations can cause cancer in ...

ic compounds. The presence of a

cytochrome P450 Cytochromes P450 (P450s or CYPs) are a Protein superfamily, superfamily of enzymes containing heme as a cofactor (biochemistry), cofactor that mostly, but not exclusively, function as monooxygenases. However, they are not omnipresent; for examp ...

has been demonstrated in ''C. bainieri''.Aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase activity in the fungus ''Cunninghamella bainieri'': Evidence for the presence of cytochrome P-450. J.P. Ferris, L.H. MacDonald, M.A. Patrie and M.A. Martin, Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Volume 175, Issue 2, August 1976, pages 443-452,

References

Cunninghamellaceae Zygomycota genera {{Zygomycota-stub