Fungalpedia – Note 3297, Sporopachydermiomycetes
Sporopachydermiomycetes M. Groenew., Hittinger, Opulente & A. Rokas Stud. Mycol. 105: 15 (2023).
Citation when using this data: Wijayawardene NN et al. 2024 – Fungalpedia.
Index Fungorum, Faceoffungi, MycoBank, GenBank, Fig 1u.
Classification: Saccharomycotina, Ascomycota, Dikarya, Fungi.
Notes: The class Sporopachydermiomycetes was introduced by Groenewald et al. (2023) based on the analysis of genomic data, proposed the distribution of yeasts, assigned to Saccharomycotina, among seven classes. They provided a diagnosis of Sporopachydermiomycetes, with class specific orthologous groups of proteins (OGs). For more details see the entry Saccharomycetes. Sporopachydermia representatives form a strongly supported monophyletic clade as per LSU, MtSm and COXII analyses (Kurtzman and Robnett 2007). Although the number of species validly described in this class is limited, Lachance (2011b) has listed a fair number of species with strong affinity to the genus Sporopachydermia, that are awaiting formal descriptions. The distribution of those phylotypes is highly influenced by geography and less so by host-plant association. (Lachance 2011b). Groenewald et al. (2023) is the latest study that provides a comprehensive background on the taxonomy of the higher-level classification of Sporopachydermiomycetes. Several phylogenetic studies found that the Sporopachydermia clade is situated on a long branch as a sister clade to Alloascoidea, indicating substantial evolutionary divergence (Lachance 2011b; Kurtzman and Robnett 2013a,b; Groenewald et al. 2023). Although a limited number of Sporopachydermia species are presented by the class Sporopachydermiomycetes, Groenewald et al. (2023) propose the separation of Sporopachydermia and its sister genus into two sister classes, Sporopachydermiomycetes and Alloascoideomycetes, respectively, due to their long branches.
According to Groenewald et al. (2023), currently, the class comprises one order (Sporopachydermiales), one family (Sporopachydermiaceae) and one genus (Sporopachydermia).
Type order: Sporopachydermiales M. Groenew., Hittinger, Opulente & A. Rokas. Stud. Mycol. 105: 15 (2023).
Type family: Sporopachydermiaceae M. Groenew., Hittinger, Opulente & A. Rokas. Stud. Mycol. 105: 15 (2023).
Type genus: Sporopachydermia Rodr. Mir., Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 44: 440 (1978).
Type species: Sporopachydermia lactativora Rodr. Mir., Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 44: 440 (1978).
Other accepted species: Species Fungorum – search Sporopachydermiomycetes.
Figure 1 – Microscopic features of taxa in Saccharomycotina. a Septate non-sporulating hyphae and pseudohyphae of Alloascoidea hylecoeti (Alloascoideaceae, Alloascoideales, Alloascoideomycetes). b-d Alloascoidea africana (Alloascoideaceae, Alloascoideales, Alloascoideomycetes) asci with ascospores and released ascospores (indicated with arrows). e,f Dipodascus albidus (Dipodascaceae, Dipodascales, Dipodascomycetes). e. Ascospores within hyphae and released ascospores. f Hyphae, arthroconidia and ascospores (indicated by arrow). g Lipomyces starkeyi (Lipomycetaceae, Lipomycetales, Lipomycetes) conjugation between a cell and its bud, ascus with ellipsoidal ascospores (indicated by arrows). h-j Pichia membranifaciens (Pichiaceae, Pichiales, Pichiomycetes) budding cells and asci with hat-shaped ascospores (indicated by arrows). k Pachysolen tannophilus (Pachysolenaceae, Alaninales, Pichiomycetes) budding cells, ascus with ascospores and liberated ascospores (indicated by arrow). l,m Metschnikowia bicuspidata (Metschnikowiaceae, Serinales, Pichiomycetes). (l) M. bucuspidata var. californica budding cells and needle-shaped ascospores. (m) M. bucuspidata var. chathamia budding cells and needle-shaped ascospores. n Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Saccharomycetaceae, Saccharomycetales, Saccharomycetes) budding cells and unconjugated, persistent ascus with globose ascospores (indicated by arrow). o, p Phaffomyces opuntiae (Phaffomycetaceae, Phaffomycetales, Saccharomycetes). (o) Budding cells and asci with hat-shaped ascospores (indicated by arrows). (p) Budding cells in short chains and asci with hat-shaped ascospores (indicated by arrows). q Saccharomycodes ludwigii (Saccharomycodaceae, Saccharomycodales, Saccharomycetes) bipolar cell division of budding cells and asci with spherical ascospores (indicated by arrows). r-t Ascoidea rubescens (Ascoideaceae, Ascoideales, Saccharomycetes). (r) Asexual cells and cluster of ascospores (indicated by arrow) (s) Asexual cells and septate hyphae, (t) Ascus with spores in different states of nascendi. u Sporopachydermia lactativora (Sporopachydermiaceae, Sporopachydermiales, Sporopachydermiomycetes) budding cells. v Trigonopsis variabilis (Trigonopsidaceae, Trigonopsidales, Trigonopsidomycetes). Budding cells with ellipsoidal and triangular morphology. Triangular cells produce ellipsoidal and triangular buds. Scale bar: a = 5μm, b-q, u,v = 10μm, r-t =30μm.
References
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 25 September 2026