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Phytomyxea



Phytomyxea
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Rhizaria
Phylum: Cercozoa
Class: Phytomyxea
Engler and Prantl, 1897
Genera

Lignieria
Membranosorus
Octomyxa
Phagomyxa
Plasmodiophora
Polymyxa
Sorodiscus
Sorosphaera
Spongospora
Tetramyxa
Woronina

The Phytomyxea are a group of protists that are parasites of plants. A more common name for them is the plasmodiophorids, but this does not always include Phagomyxa. They typically develop within plant cells, causing the infected tissue to grow into a gall or scab. Important diseases caused by phytomyxeans include club root in cabbage and its relatives, and powdery scab in potatoes. These are caused by species of Plasmodiophora and Spongospora, respectively.

The vegetative form is a multinucleate cell, called a plasmodium. This ultimately divides to form new spores, which are released when the host cell breaks. Both resting spores and motile zoospores, which generally have two smooth flagella, are produced at different stages. Within the plasmodium, dividing nuclei have a distinctive cross-like appearance.

Plasmodiophorids are traditionally considered slime moulds, because of the plasmodial stage. Thus they are often classified as fungi, and given names such as the Plasmodiophoromycota. However, genetic and ultrastructural studies indicate they belong to a diverse group of protists called the Cercozoa, or are closely related to them.

 
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Phytomyxea". A list of authors is available in Wikipedia.
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