Fifty years ago, the oomycetes were defined selleck screening library as “phycomycetes having oospores” and the Phycomycetes were at the same classification level as the ascomycetes and basidiomycetes within the Fungi (Ainsworth 1961). In the latest edition of the dictionary of fungi, omycetes are defined as a class within the kingdom Chromista (Kirk et al. 2008). The name oomycetes (Winter 1880) and its associated formal name Oomycota (Arx 1967) will be used throughout this chapter.

An alternative group name, the Peronosporomycetes, was formally proposed by Dick (2001) and is here considered a synonym as in Kirk et al. (2008). The name change to Peronosporomycete was proposed because of an overly strict interpretation of the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature. The requirement that a generic name be embedded into the higher order name is only applied to a family rank and its typification, the rules of nomenclature above the family level are not so strict. The etymological root of Oomycota refers to the presence of egg-like structures which is certainly an appropriate descriptive name for the organisms 4SC-202 nmr this higher level name represents. The taxonomic rank of Oomycota varies from class to phylum and I believe that the latter, or

at least a subphylum rank, would simplify and streamline the much needed reclassification within this group. The great

schism Pringsheim (1858) recognized over 150 years ago that the oomycete reproductive structures showed similarities to those of the yellow-green alga Vaucheria. Bessey (1942) also recognised some problems with the existing classification of oomycetes. During the past 50 years, the biochemical and morphological evidences of a misinterpration of the evolutionary relationship of the oomycetes and fungi grew steadily and rapidly. Differences in biochemical pathways were identified (Vogel 1960, 1961; BCKDHA LéJohn 1971). Bartnicki-Garcia (1966, 1968, 1969) demonstrated that the cell wall composition of oomycetes was primarily made of glucans and cellulose as opposed to chitins and Parker et al. (1963) showed similarities in cell wall composition with the Vaucheriaceae. Cavalier-Smith (1981, 1987) recognised and stipulated that oomycetes along with labyrinthulids, thraustochytrids, and hyphochytrids should no find more longer be viewed as true Fungi and be placed instead within a group he called pseudofungi, alongside the diatoms and brown algae, in the kingdom he defined as Chromista (Cavalier-Smith 1986). The final evidence that settled the ongoing controversy came from molecular phylogenetic analyses. Gunderson et al. (1987) demonstrated that Achlya and the brown alga Ochromonas were closely related when compared to organisms from several kingdoms.