Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

The Fungal Tree of Life: from Molecular Systematics to Genome-Scale Phylogenies

Journal Article · · Microbiology Spectrum
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [5];  [6]
  1. Oregon State Univ., Corvallis, OR (United States)
  2. Purdue Univ., West Lafayette, IN (United States)
  3. USDOE Joint Genome Institute (JGI), Walnut Creek, CA (United States)
  4. Lab. d’Excellence Recherches Avancés sur la Biologie de l’Arbre et les Ecosystèmes Forestiers (ARBRE), Champenoux (France)
  5. Univ. of California, Riverside, CA (United States)
  6. Louisiana State Univ., Baton Rouge, LA (United States)

The kingdom Fungi is one of the more diverse clades of eukaryotes in terrestrial ecosystems, where they provide numerous ecological services ranging from decomposition of organic matter and nutrient cycling to beneficial and antagonistic associations with plants and animals. The evolutionary relationships of the kingdom have represented some of the more recalcitrant problems in systematics and phylogenetics. The advent of molecular phylogenetics, and more recently phylogenomics, has greatly advanced our understanding of the patterns and processes associated with fungal evolution, however. In this article, we review the major phyla, subphyla, and classes of the kingdom Fungi and provide brief summaries of ecologies, morphologies, and exemplar taxa. We also provide examples of how molecular phylogenetics and evolutionary genomics have advanced our understanding of fungal evolution within each of the phyla and some of the major classes. In the current classification we recognize 8 phyla, 12 subphyla, and 46 classes within the kingdom. The ancestor of fungi is inferred to be zoosporic, and zoosporic fungi comprise three lineages that are paraphyletic to the remainder of fungi. Fungi historically classified as zygomycetes do not form a monophyletic group and are paraphyletic to Ascomycota and Basidiomycota. Ascomycota and Basidiomycota are each monophyletic and collectively form the subkingdom Dikarya.

Research Organization:
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC); National Science Foundation (NSF)
DOE Contract Number:
AC02-05CH11231
OSTI ID:
1619079
Journal Information:
Microbiology Spectrum, Journal Name: Microbiology Spectrum Journal Issue: 5 Vol. 5; ISSN 2165-0497
Publisher:
American Society for Microbiology
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (186)

No jacket required - new fungal lineage defies dress code journal December 2011
Studies of Paleozoic Fungi. iv. Wood-Decaying Fungi in Callixylon Newberryi from the Upper Devonian journal November 1985
Early Devonian fungi: a blastocladalean fungus with sexual reproduction journal June 1994
Kaffircorn malting and brewing studies. I.—The kaffir beer brewing industry in South Africa journal February 1956
The entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae and its potential as a biocontrol agent journal January 1993
The Biogeographic Diversity of Cactophilic Yeasts book January 2006
Mead: The Oldest Alcoholic Beverage book January 2016
10 Pucciniomycotina book January 2014
Microsporidia book January 2014
9 Glomeromycota book January 2014
2 Pezizomycotina: Pezizomycetes, Orbiliomycetes book January 2015
3 Pezizomycotina: Sordariomycetes and Leotiomycetes book January 2015
4 Pezizomycotina: Lecanoromycetes book January 2015
5 Pezizomycotina: Eurotiomycetes book January 2015
6 Pezizomycotina: Dothideomycetes and Arthoniomycetes book January 2015
Production of arachidonic acid byMortierella fungi journal October 2002
Oldest fossil basidiomycete clamp connections journal January 2011
Light regulation of metabolic pathways in fungi journal November 2009
Microsporidia-like parasites of amoebae belong to the early fungal lineage Rozellomycota journal March 2014
The mycorrhizal status of Pseudotulostoma volvata (Elaphomycetaceae, Eurotiales, Ascomycota) journal March 2006
Fungi with multifunctional lifestyles: endophytic insect pathogenic fungi journal December 2015
The simple-septate basidiomycetes: a synopsis journal March 2006
The Golgi apparatus, zoosporogenesis, and development of the zoospore discharge apparatus ofChytridium confervae journal March 1981
The fermentative characteristics of anaerobic rumen fungi journal January 1988
A phylogenetic re-evaluation of Dothideomycetes journal January 2009
Molecular data support the Laboulbeniales as a separate class of Ascomycota, Laboulbeniomycetes journal October 2001
Neolecta, a fruit-body-producing genus of the basal ascomycetes, as shown by SSU and LSU rDNA sequences journal February 1996
A comparative analysis of two cDNA clones of the cellulase gene family from anaerobic fungus Piromyces rhizinflata journal June 2003
The Fungi journal September 2009
Shared Signatures of Parasitism and Phylogenomics Unite Cryptomycota and Microsporidia journal August 2013
Dating the molecular clock in fungi – how close are we? journal February 2010
Effects of dockerin domains onNeocallimastix frontalisxylanases journal February 2005
The genome of the xerotolerant mold Wallemia sebi reveals adaptations to osmotic stress and suggests cryptic sexual reproduction journal March 2012
Phylogenetic analysis of the genus Modicella reveals an independent evolutionary origin of sporocarp-forming fungi in the Mortierellales journal December 2013
Phylogenetic evaluation of Geomyces and allies reveals no close relatives of Pseudogymnoascus destructans, comb. nov., in bat hibernacula of eastern North America journal September 2013
Archaeorhizomyces borealis sp. nov. and a sequence-based classification of related soil fungal species journal December 2014
Fungal entomopathogens: new insights on their ecology journal November 2009
Ecological potentials of species of Rozella (Cryptomycota) journal December 2012
The gut of Guatemalan passalid beetles: a habitat colonized by cellobiose- and xylose-fermenting yeasts journal October 2013
Surveying the biodiversity of the Cryptomycota using a targeted PCR approach journal April 2015
Discovery of dark matter fungi in aquatic ecosystems demands a reappraisal of the phylogeny and ecology of zoosporic fungi journal February 2016
Ultrastructural and molecular phylogenetic delineation of a new order, the Rhizophydiales (Chytridiomycota) journal August 2006
A higher-level phylogenetic classification of the Fungi journal May 2007
Lobulomycetales, a new order in the Chytridiomycota journal April 2009
Cladochytriales—a new order in Chytridiomycota journal April 2009
Nutrition, safety, market status quo appraisal of emerging functional food corn smut (huitlacoche) journal November 2016
The search for the fungal tree of life journal November 2009
Eccrinales (Trichomycetes) are not fungi, but a clade of protists at the early divergence of animals and fungi journal April 2005
Phylogenetic relationships, host affinity, and geographic structure of boreal and arctic endophytes from three major plant lineages journal February 2007
Widespread occurrence and phylogenetic placement of a soil clone group adds a prominent new branch to the fungal tree of life journal February 2008
Culture-based study of endophytes associated with rubber trees in Peru reveals a new class of Pezizomycotina: Xylonomycetes journal October 2012
Molecular phylogeny of the Entomophthoromycota journal November 2012
A new fungal phylum, the Glomeromycota: phylogeny and evolution journal December 2001
Morphology and ultrastructure of Neolecta species journal September 2003
The codon CUG is read as serine in an asporogenic yeast Candida cylindracea journal September 1989
Detection of a novel intracellular microbiome hosted in arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi journal September 2013
Tree diversity and species identity effects on soil fungi, protists and animals are context dependent journal July 2015
Who lives in a fungus? The diversity, origins and functions of fungal endobacteria living in Mucoromycota journal April 2017
Proof and evolutionary analysis of ancient genome duplication in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae journal March 2004
Reconstructing the early evolution of Fungi using a six-gene phylogeny journal October 2006
Insights from the genome of the biotrophic fungal plant pathogen Ustilago maydis journal November 2006
Discovery of novel intermediate forms redefines the fungal tree of life journal May 2011
Effector diversification within compartments of the Leptosphaeria maculans genome affected by Repeat-Induced Point mutations journal February 2011
Ectomycorrhizal ecology is imprinted in the genome of the dominant symbiotic fungus Cenococcum geophilum journal September 2016
Innovation and constraint leading to complex multicellularity in the Ascomycota journal February 2017
Latent homology and convergent regulatory evolution underlies the repeated emergence of yeasts journal July 2014
Convergent losses of decay mechanisms and rapid turnover of symbiosis genes in mycorrhizal mutualists journal February 2015
Evidence for the sexual origin of heterokaryosis in arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi journal March 2016
Unearthing the roots of ectomycorrhizal symbioses journal October 2016
Contentious relationships in phylogenomic studies can be driven by a handful of genes journal April 2017
Necrotizing Cutaneous Mucormycosis after a Tornado in Joplin, Missouri, in 2011 journal December 2012
A rare genotype of Cryptococcus gattii caused the cryptococcosis outbreak on Vancouver Island (British Columbia, Canada) journal November 2004
Dandruff-associated Malassezia genomes reveal convergent and divergent virulence traits shared with plant and human fungal pathogens journal November 2007
Obligate biotrophy features unraveled by the genomic analysis of rust fungi journal May 2011
Role of social wasps in Saccharomyces cerevisiae ecology and evolution journal July 2012
Genome of an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus provides insight into the oldest plant symbiosis journal November 2013
Extensive sampling of basidiomycete genomes demonstrates inadequacy of the white-rot/brown-rot paradigm for wood decay fungi journal June 2014
Comparative genomics of biotechnologically important yeasts journal August 2016
Chytridiomycosis causes amphibian mortality associated with population declines in the rain forests of Australia and Central America journal July 1998
Sexual Reproduction in Gonapodya journal March 1954
The Merosporangium journal May 1966
Mycological Observations: 1, On Cristulariella; 2, On Valdensinia; 3, On Neolecta journal November 1979
Similarity of Amphoromorpha and Secondary Capilliconidia of Basidiobolus journal September 1989
Fossil arbuscular mycorrhizae from the Early Devonian journal July 1995
Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis gen. et sp. nov., a chytrid pathogenic to amphibians journal March 1999
Mycocaliciales, a new order for nonlichenized calicioid fungi journal May 2000
Amoebidium parasiticum is a protozoan, not a Trichomycete journal November 2000
Phylogenetic systematics of Syncephalis (Zoopagales, Zoopagomycotina), a genus of ubiquitous mycoparasites journal March 2017
Assembling the Fungal Tree of Life: constructing the Structural and Biochemical Database journal November 2006
A phylogenetic overview of the Agaricomycotina journal November 2006
First report of Zygospores in Asellariales and new species from the Caribbean journal January 2008
Fueling the future with fungal genomics journal July 2011
Excess Mortality, Hospital Stay, and Cost Due to Candidemia: A Case-Control Study Using Data From Population-Based Candidemia Surveillance
  • Morgan, Juliette; Meltzer, Martin I.; Plikaytis, Brian D.
  • Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, Vol. 26, Issue 6 https://doi.org/10.1086/502581
journal June 2005
ASTRAL: genome-scale coalescent-based species tree estimation journal August 2014
ASTRAL-II: coalescent-based species tree estimation with many hundreds of taxa and thousands of genes journal June 2015
T-BAS: Tree-Based Alignment Selector toolkit for phylogenetic-based placement, alignment downloads and metadata visualization: an example with the Pezizomycotina tree of life journal December 2016
Phylogenomic Analyses Indicate that Early Fungi Evolved Digesting Cell Walls of Algal Ancestors of Land Plants journal May 2015
Quest for Orthologs Entails Quest for Tree of Life: In Search of the Gene Stream journal July 2015
Novel Information Theory-Based Measures for Quantifying Incongruence among Phylogenetic Trees journal February 2014
A Phylogenetic Estimation of Trophic Transition Networks for Ascomycetous Fungi: Are Lichens Cradles of Symbiotrophic Fungal Diversification? journal June 2009
The Ascomycota Tree of Life: A Phylum-wide Phylogeny Clarifies the Origin and Evolution of Fundamental Reproductive and Ecological Traits journal April 2009
Effects of Barberry Eradication on Stem Rust in the United States journal January 1982
Economic and Social Impacts of Fusarium Head Blight: Changing Farms and Rural Communities in the Northern Great Plains journal January 2000
The dawn of symbiosis between plants and fungi journal February 2011
Evolution of complex fruiting–body morphologies in homobasidiomycetes journal October 2002
Overview of chytrid emergence and impacts on amphibians journal December 2016
OrthoMCL: Identification of Ortholog Groups for Eukaryotic Genomes journal September 2003
Metagenome sequence of E laphomyces granulatus from sporocarp tissue reveals Ascomycota ectomycorrhizal fingerprints of genome expansion and a Proteobacteria -rich microbiome journal April 2015
Comparative genomics of Mortierella elongata and its bacterial endosymbiont Mycoavidus cysteinexigens journal February 2017
Cord-forming Palaeozoic fungi in terrestrial assemblages journal March 2016
Is the switch to an ectomycorrhizal state an evolutionary key innovation in mushroom-forming fungi? A case study in the Tricholomatineae (Agaricales): DIVERSIFICATION OF ECTOMYCORRHIZAL FUNGI journal November 2016
Mazaedium evolution in the Ascomycota (Fungi) and the classification of mazaediate groups of formerly unclear relationship journal September 2012
China and the origins of Dutch elm disease: an appraisal journal March 1990
Fungal endophytes in woody roots of Douglas-fir ( Pseudotsuga menziesii ) and ponderosa pine ( Pinus ponderosa ) journal July 2004
Fungal endophytes: diversity and functional roles journal February 2009
Detoxification spectrum of the cigarette beetle symbiont Symbiotaphrina kochii in culture journal July 1991
Phytotoxic secondary metabolites and peptides produced by plant pathogenicDothideomycetefungi journal January 2013
Genome sequencing provides insight into the reproductive biology, nutritional mode and ploidy of the fern pathogen Mixia osmundae journal December 2013
First evidence of mutualism between ancient plant lineages (Haplomitriopsida liverworts) and Mucoromycotina fungi and its response to simulated Palaeozoic changes in atmospheric CO 2 journal September 2014
Estimating phylogenetic trees from genome-scale data: Phylogenies and the multispecies coalecsent model journal April 2015
Seasonal Dynamics of Previously Unknown Fungal Lineages in Tundra Soils journal September 2003
The Ashbya gossypii Genome as a Tool for Mapping the Ancient Saccharomyces cerevisiae Genome journal April 2004
Status and Trends of Amphibian Declines and Extinctions Worldwide journal October 2004
Archaeorhizomycetes: Unearthing an Ancient Class of Ubiquitous Soil Fungi journal August 2011
The Paleozoic Origin of Enzymatic Lignin Decomposition Reconstructed from 31 Fungal Genomes journal June 2012
Hyperphoretic Dispersal of a Pyxidiophora Anamorph journal May 1986
Life with 6000 Genes journal October 1996
Glomalean Fungi from the Ordovician journal September 2000
Early-branching gut fungi possess a large, comprehensive array of biomass-degrading enzymes journal February 2016
The invisible dimension of fungal diversity journal March 2016
Basidiomycete yeasts in the cortex of ascomycete macrolichens journal July 2016
The Genome of the Anaerobic Fungus Orpinomyces sp. Strain C1A Reveals the Unique Evolutionary History of a Remarkable Plant Biomass Degrader journal May 2013
Made for Each Other: Ascomycete Yeasts and Insects journal May 2017
Light and electron microscopic observations of the infection of Camellia sasanqua by the fungus Exobasidum camelliae var. gracilis journal January 2007
Septa ultrastructure and hyphal branching in the pleomorphic imperfect fungus Trichosporonoides oedocephalis journal June 1975
Ultrastructural markers and systematics in smut fungi and allied taxa journal August 1997
Fungal Effectors and Plant Susceptibility journal April 2015
BIZARRE INTERACTIONS AND ENDGAMES: Entomopathogenic Fungi and Their Arthropod Hosts journal January 2006
Microsporidia: Biology and Evolution of Highly Reduced Intracellular Parasites journal October 2002
H OST -S ELECTIVE T OXINS AND A VIRULENCE D ETERMINANTS : What's in a Name? journal September 2002
A multigene phylogeny of Olpidium and its implications for early fungal evolution journal January 2011
High-throughput genome sequencing of lichenizing fungi to assess gene loss in the ammonium transporter/ammonia permease gene family journal January 2013
Genome characteristics reveal the impact of lichenization on lichen-forming fungus Endocarpon pusillum Hedwig (Verrucariales, Ascomycota) journal January 2014
Phylogenomics supports microsporidia as the earliest diverging clade of sequenced fungi journal January 2012
A novel mode of chromosomal evolution peculiar to filamentous Ascomycete fungi journal January 2011
VizBin - an application for reference-independent visualization and human-augmented binning of metagenomic data journal January 2015
Beyond the Whole-Genome Duplication: Phylogenetic Evidence for an Ancient Interspecies Hybridization in the Baker's Yeast Lineage journal August 2015
Accelerated Profile HMM Searches journal October 2011
Genus-Wide Comparative Genomics of Malassezia Delineates Its Phylogeny, Physiology, and Niche Adaptation on Human Skin journal November 2015
Phylogenetic Distribution of Fungal Sterols journal May 2010
Characterization of Amoeboaphelidium protococcarum, an Algal Parasite New to the Cryptomycota Isolated from an Outdoor Algal Pond Used for the Production of Biofuel journal February 2013
Entorrhizomycota: A New Fungal Phylum Reveals New Perspectives on the Evolution of Fungi journal July 2015
Five Questions about Microsporidia journal September 2009
Genomic Transition to Pathogenicity in Chytrid Fungi journal November 2011
Diverse Lifestyles and Strategies of Plant Pathogenesis Encoded in the Genomes of Eighteen Dothideomycetes Fungi journal December 2012
From Dandruff to Deep-Sea Vents: Malassezia-like Fungi Are Ecologically Hyper-diverse journal August 2014
Hijacked: Co-option of host behavior by entomophthoralean fungi journal May 2017
Comparative genomics of microsporidia journal May 2005
Reconstructing the Backbone of the Saccharomycotina Yeast Phylogeny Using Genome-Scale Data journal September 2016
Fossilized Pre‐Patouillardian Taxonomy? journal December 1968
Sexual Reproduction in the Mucorineae journal January 1904
Chestnut Blight: The Classical Problem of an Introduced Pathogen journal January 1987
Analysis of cell wall carbohydrates (neutral sugars) from ascomycetous and basidiomycetous yeasts with and without derivatization. journal January 1993
Root endophyte and mycorrhizosphere fungi of black spruce, Picea mariana, in a boreal forest habitat: influence of site factors on fungal distributions journal January 2005
Behaviour of Australian rainforest stream frogs may affect the transmission of chytridiomycosis journal August 2007
Virulence of the amphibian chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis varies with the strain journal January 2005
Blobology: exploring raw genome data for contaminants, symbionts and parasites using taxon-annotated GC-coverage plots journal January 2013
Evolution of zygomycetous spindle pole bodies: Evidence from Coemansia reversa mitosis journal May 2015
Molecular phylogeny suggests a single origin of insect symbiosis in the Pucciniomycetes with support for some relationships within the genus Septobasidium journal September 2007
Geoglossomycetes cl. nov., Geoglossales ord. nov. and taxa above class rank in the Ascomycota Tree of Life journal June 2009
The family structure of the Mucorales: a synoptic revision based on comprehensive multigene-genealogies journal June 2013
Gromochytrium mamkaevae gen. & sp. nov. and two new orders: Gromochytriales and Mesochytriales (Chytridiomycetes) journal June 2014
Moniliellomycetes and Malasseziomycetes, two new classes in Ustilaginomycotina journal December 2014
A new lineage in Pucciniomycotina: class Tritirachiomycetes, order Tritirachiales, family Tritirachiaceae journal November 2011
The Polychytriales ord. nov. contains chitinophilic members of the rhizophlyctoid alliance journal January 2012
Phylogenetic placement of the ectomycorrhizal genus Cenococcum in Gloniaceae (Dothideomycetes) journal May 2012
Position specificity in Chitonomyces (Ascomycota, Laboulbeniomycetes) on Laccophilus (Coleoptera, Dytiscidae): a molecular approach resolves a century-old debate journal June 2012
Meredithblackwellia eburnea gen. et sp. nov., Kriegeriaceae fam. nov. and Kriegeriales ord. nov.—toward resolving higher-level classification in Microbotryomycetes journal March 2013
A phylum-level phylogenetic classification of zygomycete fungi based on genome-scale data journal September 2016
An overview of the higher level classification of Pucciniomycotina based on combined analyses of nuclear large and small subunit rDNA sequences journal November 2006
Mortierellomycotina subphyl. nov., based on multi-gene genealogies journal May 2011
Entomophthoromycota: a new phylum and reclassification for entomophthoroid fungi journal September 2012
Validation and justification of the phylum name Cryptomycota phyl. nov. journal November 2011
MycoBank gearing up for new horizons journal December 2013
Bringing Laboulbeniales into the 21st century: enhanced techniques for extraction and PCR amplification of DNA from minute ectoparasitic fungi journal November 2015
Addenda to "The Merosporangiferous Mucorales" III Dimargaris journal January 1965

Similar Records

Diploid-dominant life cycles characterize the early evolution of Fungi
Journal Article · Mon Aug 29 00:00:00 EDT 2022 · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · OSTI ID:1884334

Genome-scale phylogeny and contrasting modes of genome evolution in the fungal phylum Ascomycota
Journal Article · Tue Nov 03 23:00:00 EST 2020 · Science Advances · OSTI ID:1764995

Related Subjects