Verticillium

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A Microbial Biorealm page on the phylum Verticillium


Verticillium sp. well differentiated and erect conidiophores, verticillately branched over most of their length, bearing whorls of slender awl-shaped divergent phialides. Conidia are hyaline or brightly coloured, mostly one-celled, and are usually borne in slimy heads (glioconidia). [1]


Classification

Higher order taxa

Division Eucaryota, Kingdom Fungi, Phylum Ascomycota, Class Incertae sedis

Species

Verticillium dahliae
Verticillium lecanii
Verticillium albo-atrum

Description and Significance

One-sided wilt and death of potato leaves caused by Verticillium spp. by: [2]
Typical V-shaped lesions on tomato leaves associated with Verticillium wilt. by: [3]

Verticillium is a widely distributed filamentous fungus that inhabits decaying vegetation and soil. Some Verticillium species may be pathogenic to arthropods, plants, and other fungi. It is commonly considered as a contaminant. Verticillium may very rarely cause human disease.(1)

Verticillium is a genus of fungi of Ascomycota. This genus has three ecologically based group: mycopathogens, entomopathogens, and plant pathogens and related saprophytes. The commonly known species of Verticillium fall within the plant pathogens group.

Verticillim dehliae and Verticillim albo-atrum cause wilt diseases, which refers to loss of rigidity of non-woody parts of plants, in plants such as cotton, potatos, peppers, eggplants, and tomatoes. Because these fungi are soil-borne and can infect so many different plant species, Verticillium wilt is difficult to control. (4)

Genome Structure

Cell Structure and Metabolism

Ecology

Pathogenicity and Clinical Significance

Verticillium has been reported as a possible cause of keratitis in humans. (2)(3)

References

(1)http://www.doctorfungus.org/thefungi/verticillium.htm

(2)Larone, D. H. 1995. Medically Important Fungi - A Guide to Identification, 3rd ed. ASM Press, Washington, D.C.

(3)Sutton, D. A., A. W. Fothergill, and M. G. Rinaldi (ed.). 1998. Guide to Clinically Significant Fungi, 1st ed. Williams & Wilkins, Baltimore.