Ustilaginales (Smut Fungi) and their Role in Causing Human Infections, an Update

Abstract

Ustilaginales is also known as smut fungi are a vast and diverse group of fungi that cause disease in crops causing huge losses worldwide. They belong to the class Ustilaginomycetes. Several members of this group serve as valuable models for unraveling the fundamental mechanisms controlling important biological processes. Several plant pathogenic species of ustilaginales are known to cause human infections. A brief description is given of the genera that contain species pathogenic to humans. The life cycle of Mycosarcoma (Ustilago) maydis is briefly described. The phenomenon of dimorphism in Mycosarcoma maydis is discussed in comparison to a plant pathogenic fungus, Taphrina deformans. Mycosarcoma maydis was the first plant pathogenic fungus known to cause human infection in a 31-years old corn farmer. There are over twenty species of ustilaginales implicated in human infections. This paper reviews the infections caused by Mycosarcoma (Ustilago) maydis, Psudozyma species, viz. Psuedozyma aphidis, P. antartica, P. parantarctica, and P. thialandica, and Dirkmeia churashimaensis.