Fungalpedia – Note 3320, Spiculogloeomycetes
Spiculogloeomycetes Q.M. Wang, F.Y. Bai, M. Groenew. & Boekhout (2015).
Citation when using this data: Wijayawardene NN et al. 2024 – Fungalpedia.
Index Fungorum, Faceoffungi, MycoBank, GenBank.
Classification: Pucciniomycotina, Basidiomycota, Dikarya, Fungi.
Spiculogloeomycetes belongs to the subphylum Pucciniomycotina (Bauer et al. 2006; Wang et al. 2015c; Oberwinkler 2017). The class comprises a single order, Spiculogloeales, accommodating the genera Meniscomyces, Phyllozyma, and Spiculogloea (Wang et al. 2015c; Oberwinkler 2017; Li et al. 2020). The majority of the species belonging to Spiculogloeomycetes are known only from a yeast morph only, and no filamentous morphs with sexual structures are known from the species in Meniscomyces and Phyllozyma, which were all isolated from plant surfaces. Yeast colonies are usually yellow to pale yellowish-brown, occasionally pinkish-orange, budding cells are present, and hyphae and pseudohyphae are present or not. Ballistoconidia are fusiform, ellipsoidal, or sometimes sickle-shaped in Meniscomyces spp.
Spiculogloea species on the other hand are intrahymenial mycoparasites known from filamentous morphs only and generate hyphae with clamp collections, three-septate auricularioid basidia that are spiculated at the surface producing ballistospores, and sometimes conidiophores with cyanophilous conidia (Roberts 1996, 1997; Langer and Oberwinkler 1998; Bauer et al. 2006; Oberwinkler 2017; Schoutteten et al. 2018). The basidiospores can germinate by hyphae, yeast budding, or secondary spore production. Furthermore, Spiculogloea species are characterised by the presence of clamped haustorial cells, of which the globular apex attaches to hyphae of the host fungus. Along the contact surface, one or more nanopores are produces, establishing a cytoplasmic bridge between the host and mycoparasite (Weiß et al. 2004; Bauer et al. 2006). Cultures and DNA sequence data are unavailable for most of the Spiculogloea species, and thus, their systematic placement remains to be investigated. Several phylogenetic reconstructions found the clustering of a Mycogloea isolate in Spiculogloeomycetes, although only LSU and SSU sequence data are available and the obtained support is usually low (Weiß et al. 2004; Bauer et al. 2006; Wang et al. 2015c). Hence, it is unclear whether this Mycogloea truly belongs to Spiculogloeomycetes, or is a member of a different class in Pucciniomycotina.
Life modes and distribution: Spiculogloeomycetes are comprised of teleomorphic members (Spiculogloea spp.) that produce basally clamped transversally three-septate basidia and clamped tremelloid haustorial cells. Spiculogloea spp. are intrahymenial mycoparasites of corticioid fungi and resupinate jelly fungi (Agaricomycetes), and interact with their host fungi by means of nanofusionpore interaction. These mycopaarsites are mainly known from North-America and Europe, but it can be expected that these mycoparasites follow the distribution of their hosts (Bandoni et al. 2002; Spirin et al. 2016; Oberwinkler 2017; Schoutteten et al 2018). Some taxa are isolated as anamorphic yeast colonies from plant surfaces (mainly the phyllosphere), and their ecological role remains poorly understood (e.g. Meniscomyces spp. and Phyllozyma spp.). These species were isolated from various parts of the world, including South-America, Japan and China (Wang et al. 2015c; Oberwinkler 2017; Li et al. 2020).
Notes: The placement of Spiculogloeomycetes was confirmed by a phylogenetic analysis using seven genes in which it formed a well-supported lineage sister to Mixiomycetes within Pucciniomycotina (Bauer et al. 2006; Wang et al. 2015c). Spiculogloeomycetes are poorly studied, and the little overlap between the teleomorphic and anamorphic data allows for further studies.
Type order: Spiculogloeales R. Bauer, Begerow, J.P. Samp., M. Weiss & Oberw. 2006.
Type family: Spiculogloeaceae Denchev, Mycol. Balcanica 6: 87 (2009).
Type genus: Spiculogloea P. Roberts, Mycotaxon 60: 112 (1996).
Type species: Spiculogloea occulta P. Roberts, Mycotaxon 60: 113 (1996).
Other accepted species: Species Fungorum – search Spiculogloeomycetes.
References
Oberwinkler F. 2017 – Yeasts in Pucciniomycotina. Mycol Prog 16:831–856.
Roberts P. 1997 – New heterobasidiomycetes from Great Britain. Mycotaxon 63:195–216.
Entry by
Nalin N. Wijayawardene, Center for Yunnan Plateau Biological Resources Protection and Utilization, College of Biological Resource and Food Engineering, Qujing Normal University, Qujing, Yunnan 655011, P.R. China, Tropical Microbiology Research Foundation, 96/N/10, Meemanagoda Road, 10230 Pannipitiya, Sri Lanka, Department of Bioprocess Technology, Faculty of Technology, Rajarata University, Sri Lanka
Published online 2 October 2026