Claviceps purpurea: Difference between revisions

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==Classification==
==Classification==


Fungi; Ascomycota; Sordariomycetes; Hypocreales; Ckavucuoutaceae [Others may be used.  Use [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Taxonomy/ NCBI] link to find]
Fungi; Ascomycota; Sordariomycetes; Hypocreales; Clavicipitaceae [Others may be used.  Use [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Taxonomy/ NCBI] link to find]


===Species===
===Species===
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''''''Claviceps purpurea''''
''''''Claviceps purpurea,''''
''
''
''Common Name: ''rye ergot fungus'' ''''Italic text''''
Common Name: rye ergot fungus,
Anamorph: ''Sphacelia segetum''''
Anamorph: ''Sphacelia segetum''''


==Description and Significance==
==Description and Significance==
The fungus ''Claviceps purpurea'' is responsible for causing the fungal disease ergot of rye. Of the approximate 40 species of ''Claviceps'' described, ''C. purpurea'' is of the most importance due to its potential economic loss in rye crops and its significant toxicity to both humans and animals. ''C. purpurea'' has been known to infect over 400 grass and cereal species and can found in temperate regions around the world. Though the loss of crops due to ergot is typically low, only 5-10%, the health affects that consumption can have on humans can be severe. In historical accounts, Ergotism, which is the disease caused by consumption of contaminated plants, caused hallucinations, fever, convulsions, loss of fertility, miscarriage, and loss of limbs in humans. Due to modern management strategies, the risk of exposure to ergotism today is low in comparison to historical times. Today, compounds isolated from ''Claviceps''have been used to create medicines to treat migraine headaches, heavy menstrual bleeding, bleeding after child-birth, and neurological and cardiovascular disorders.
The fungus ''Claviceps purpurea'' is responsible for causing the fungal disease ergot of rye. ''Claviceps'' is capable of replacing the seeds of many forage grasses and cereal grains with alkaloid containing sclerotia. These sclerotia, which are purplish-brown masses of hardened mycelia, can cause human poisoning, called ergotism, when consumed. It is hypothesized that ergotism caused "bewitchment," the strange behavior reported during the Salem Witch Trials (3). Symptoms documented included hallucinations, vomiting, psychosis, and delirium . Of the approximate 40 species of ''Claviceps'' described, ''C. purpurea'' is of the most importance due to its potential for economic loss in rye crops and its significant toxicity to both humans and animals (1).  
 
==Life Cycle, Cell Structure, Metabolism==
==Life Cycle, Cell Structure, Metabolism==
Interesting features of the life cycle, spores produced, reproductive features; how it gains energy; what important molecules it produces.
''C. purpurea'' is unique in that it only infects the ovaries of mostly young unfertilized plants (1). Ascospores are dispersed by wind and land on plant stigma alongside pollen grains. These spores infect the ovary and hyphae begin to develop. Following hyphal development, conidia are formed and dispersed with the help of insects who are attracted to a sticky honeydew created by a combination of fungal conidia and sap from the host plant. The infected plant ovary is then replaced by sclerotia, or ergot, which consists of hardened mycelia used for protection, dormancy, and survival. When the crop is harvested, the sclerotia is harvested along with the grain, leading to contamination. Contamination comes from alkaloids present in the sclerotia, which are categorized into three groups: clavines, ergopeptines, and amides of lysergic acid, the latter being a derivative used to produce LSD (4).  
''C. purpurea'' is unique in that it only infects ovaries in typically young, unfertilized plants. Ascospores are dispersed by wind and land on plant stigma alongside pollen grains. These spores infect the ovary where hyphae begin to develop. Following hyphal development, conidia are formed and dispersed with the help of insects who are attracted to a sticky substance created by a combination of fungal conidia and sap from the host plant called honeydew. The infected plant ovary is then replaced by sclerotia, or ergot, which consists of hardened mycelia used for protection, dormancy, and survival . When the crop is harvested, the sclerotia makes its way in with the grain, leading to contamination of the harvest. Contamination comes from alkaloids present in the sclerotia, which are categorized into three groups: clavines, ergopeptines, and amides of lysergic acid, the latter being a derivative used to produce LSD.  


==Genome Structure==
==Genome Structure==
Describe the size and content of the genomeHow many chromosomes? Other interesting features?  What is known about its sequence?
'''Organism:''' ''Claviceps purpures''
 
'''Strain:''' 20.1
'''Genome GC:''' 0.52
'''CDS GC:''' 0.55
'''non-Rpt-IG GC:''' 0.50
'''Rpt GC:''' 0.50 (5)


==Ecology and Pathogenesis==
==Ecology and Pathogenesis==
Habitat; symbiosis; environmental or industrial relevance; contributions to environment.<br>
''C. purpurea'' has been known to infect over 400 grass and cereal species and can found in temperate regions around the world (2). Though the loss of crops due to ergot is typically low, only 5-10% (2), the health effects that consumption can have on humans can be severe. In historical accounts ergotism caused hallucinations, fever, convulsions, loss of fertility, miscarriage, and loss of limbs in humans. Due to modern management strategies, the risk of exposure to ergotism today is low in comparison to historical times (1). Today, compounds isolated from ''Claviceps''have been used to create medicines to treat migraine headaches, heavy menstrual bleeding, bleeding after child-birth, and neurological and cardiovascular disorders.
If relevant, how does this organism cause disease? Human, animal, plant hosts? Virulence factors, as well as host symptoms.<br><br>


==References==
==References==
[Sample reference] [http://ijs.sgmjournals.org/cgi/reprint/50/2/489 Takai, K., Sugai, A., Itoh, T., and Horikoshi, K. "''Palaeococcus ferrophilus'' gen. nov., sp. nov., a barophilic, hyperthermophilic archaeon from a deep-sea hydrothermal vent chimney". ''International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology''. 2000. Volume 50. p. 489-500.]
1. Schumann, G.L. and Uppala, S. (2000). Ergot of rye. The Plant Health Instructor. DOI: 10.1094/PHI-I-2000-1016-01
Updated 2017. Retrieved December 2018 from http://www.apsnet.org/edcenter/intropp/lessons/fungi/ascomycetes/pages/ergot.aspx
2. Miedaner, T., & Geiger, H. H. (2015). Biology, genetics, and management of ergot (Claviceps spp.) in rye, sorghum, and pearl millet. Toxins, 7(3), 659-78. doi:10.3390/toxins7030659 Retrieved December 2018 from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4379517/
3.Matossian, Mary (July–August 1982). "Ergot and the Salem Witchcraft Affair". American Scientist. 70 (4): 355–7. Bibcode:1982AmSci..70..355M Retrieved December 2018 from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ergotism
4. Money, Nicholas (2015) '''The Fungi.''' Elsevier Publishing Retrieved December 2018 from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780123820341000128?via%3Dihub
5. Schardl, C.L., (2013). Plant-Symbiotic Fungi as Chemical Engineers: MultiGenome Analysis of the Clavicipitaceae Reveals Dynamics of Alkaloid Loci.PLOS Genetics.February 2013 | Volume 9 | Issue 2 | e1003323. Retrieved December 2018 from www.plosgenetics.org


==Author==
==Author==

Latest revision as of 22:48, 7 December 2018

This student page has not been curated.

Classification

Fungi; Ascomycota; Sordariomycetes; Hypocreales; Clavicipitaceae [Others may be used. Use NCBI link to find]

Species

NCBI: [1]

'Claviceps purpurea,' Common Name: rye ergot fungus, Anamorph: Sphacelia segetum''

Description and Significance

The fungus Claviceps purpurea is responsible for causing the fungal disease ergot of rye. Claviceps is capable of replacing the seeds of many forage grasses and cereal grains with alkaloid containing sclerotia. These sclerotia, which are purplish-brown masses of hardened mycelia, can cause human poisoning, called ergotism, when consumed. It is hypothesized that ergotism caused "bewitchment," the strange behavior reported during the Salem Witch Trials (3). Symptoms documented included hallucinations, vomiting, psychosis, and delirium . Of the approximate 40 species of Claviceps described, C. purpurea is of the most importance due to its potential for economic loss in rye crops and its significant toxicity to both humans and animals (1).

Life Cycle, Cell Structure, Metabolism

C. purpurea is unique in that it only infects the ovaries of mostly young unfertilized plants (1). Ascospores are dispersed by wind and land on plant stigma alongside pollen grains. These spores infect the ovary and hyphae begin to develop. Following hyphal development, conidia are formed and dispersed with the help of insects who are attracted to a sticky honeydew created by a combination of fungal conidia and sap from the host plant. The infected plant ovary is then replaced by sclerotia, or ergot, which consists of hardened mycelia used for protection, dormancy, and survival. When the crop is harvested, the sclerotia is harvested along with the grain, leading to contamination. Contamination comes from alkaloids present in the sclerotia, which are categorized into three groups: clavines, ergopeptines, and amides of lysergic acid, the latter being a derivative used to produce LSD (4).

Genome Structure

Organism: Claviceps purpures Strain: 20.1 Genome GC: 0.52 CDS GC: 0.55 non-Rpt-IG GC: 0.50 Rpt GC: 0.50 (5)

Ecology and Pathogenesis

C. purpurea has been known to infect over 400 grass and cereal species and can found in temperate regions around the world (2). Though the loss of crops due to ergot is typically low, only 5-10% (2), the health effects that consumption can have on humans can be severe. In historical accounts ergotism caused hallucinations, fever, convulsions, loss of fertility, miscarriage, and loss of limbs in humans. Due to modern management strategies, the risk of exposure to ergotism today is low in comparison to historical times (1). Today, compounds isolated from Clavicepshave been used to create medicines to treat migraine headaches, heavy menstrual bleeding, bleeding after child-birth, and neurological and cardiovascular disorders.

References

1. Schumann, G.L. and Uppala, S. (2000). Ergot of rye. The Plant Health Instructor. DOI: 10.1094/PHI-I-2000-1016-01 Updated 2017. Retrieved December 2018 from http://www.apsnet.org/edcenter/intropp/lessons/fungi/ascomycetes/pages/ergot.aspx 2. Miedaner, T., & Geiger, H. H. (2015). Biology, genetics, and management of ergot (Claviceps spp.) in rye, sorghum, and pearl millet. Toxins, 7(3), 659-78. doi:10.3390/toxins7030659 Retrieved December 2018 from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4379517/ 3.Matossian, Mary (July–August 1982). "Ergot and the Salem Witchcraft Affair". American Scientist. 70 (4): 355–7. Bibcode:1982AmSci..70..355M Retrieved December 2018 from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ergotism 4. Money, Nicholas (2015) The Fungi. Elsevier Publishing Retrieved December 2018 from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780123820341000128?via%3Dihub 5. Schardl, C.L., (2013). Plant-Symbiotic Fungi as Chemical Engineers: MultiGenome Analysis of the Clavicipitaceae Reveals Dynamics of Alkaloid Loci.PLOS Genetics.February 2013 | Volume 9 | Issue 2 | e1003323. Retrieved December 2018 from www.plosgenetics.org

Author

Page authored by Gayle J. Nance, student of Dr. Marc Orbach, University of Arizona .