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Identification of the Genus Absidia (Mucorales, Zygomycetes): A Comprehensive Taxonomic Revision

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Molecular Identification of Fungi

Abstract

This brief review intends to survey and evaluate the present knowledge about the genus Absidia Tiegh. sensu lato regarding the traditional and current position within the order Mucorales (Mucoromycotina, Zygomycetes), nomenclatural changes and the taxonomical rearrangements of the prevalent species. Species grouped within Absidia possess some very promising industrial and medical application possibilities e.g., as mediators of biotransformations, producers of antimicrobial and wound healing stimulators. But some species are also causatives of severe and frequent fatal mucormycoses. Using traditional and modern methods of species determination had uncovered a trichotomous genera separation, namely Absidia sensu stricto, Lichtheimia, and Lentamyces, belonging to distinct families, the Absidiaceae, Lichtheimiaceae and “Lentamycetaceae” (NN), respectively. The existing medical and industrial aspects necessitate a fast and secure identification of a prominent species. Within this survey, morphological criteria and molecular markers were proposed for clear distinction of Absidia sensu lato.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by a grant of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (VO 772/9-1) and by the Thüringer Ministerium für Wissenschaft, Forschung und Kunst. The author wishes to express her gratitude to Kerstin Voigt (University of Jena, Germany) and Grit Walther (CBS, Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures Utrecht, The Netherlands) for critically reading the manuscript and valuable advices, to Keith A. Seifert (Eastern Cereal and Oilseed Research Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Ottawa, Ontario, Canada) for kindly providing a culture and sequence information of Absidia repens KAS3611, to Ru-yong Zheng (Key Laboratory of Systematic Mycology and Lichenology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China) for providing Absidia idahoensis var. thermophila strain AS 3.4808 and to Gisela Baumbach for excellent assistance in strain maintenance.

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  1. Institute of Microbiology, School of Biology and Pharmacy, University of Jena, Neugasse, 25, 07743, Jena, Germany

    Kerstin Hoffmann

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  1. Kerstin Hoffmann
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Correspondence to Kerstin Hoffmann .

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  1. Fac. Science, Dept. Botany, South Valley University, Qena, Egypt

    Youssuf Gherbawy

  2. School of Biology and Pharmacy, Institute of Microbiology, University of Jena, Neugasse 24, Jena, 07743, Germany

    Kerstin Voigt

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Hoffmann, K. (2010). Identification of the Genus Absidia (Mucorales, Zygomycetes): A Comprehensive Taxonomic Revision. In: Gherbawy, Y., Voigt, K. (eds) Molecular Identification of Fungi. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-05042-8_19

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