Ustilaginaceae
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Ustilaginaceae | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Ustilago maydis | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Basidiomycota |
| Class: | Ustilaginomycetes |
| Order: | Ustilaginales |
| Family: | Ustilaginaceae Tul. & C.Tul. (1847) |
| Type genus | |
| Ustilago (Pers.) Roussel (1806) | |
The Ustilaginaceae are a family of smut fungi in the order Ustilaginomycetes. Collectively, the family contains 17 genera and 607 species.[1]
Ustilaginaceae naturally produce a wide range of value-added chemicals (e.g. secondary metabolites, TCA cycle intermediates) with growing biotechnological interest.[2] Reported metabolites are polyols, organic acids, extracellular glycolipids, iron-chelating siderophores and tryptophan derivatives.[3][4] Polyols, such as erythritol (ery) and mannitol, for example, have large markets as sweeteners for diabetics and as facilitating agents for the transportation of pharmaceuticals in medicine.[5] Itaconic, L-malic, succinic, l-itatartaric, and l-2-hydroxyparaconic acid are organic acids produced by many Ustilaginomycetes.[4] Applications for itaconic acid are for example the production of resins, plastics, adhesives, elastomers, coatings, and nowadays itaconate is discussed as a platform chemical in the production of biofuels.[6] Malic acid is used in many food products, primarily as an acidulant.[7] Succinic acid is utilized as a precursor to pharmaceutical ingredients, such as additives, solvents, and polymers, but also as a food additive and dietary supplement.[8] Another category of metabolites produced by smut fungi contains extracellular glycolipids, such as mannosylerythritol lipids and ustilagic acid.[9][10] These lipids have biosurfactant properties and can be used in pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food applications and are known for their strong fungicidal activity on many species.[3]
