A molecular phylogenetic evaluation of the spizellomycetales.

Order Spizellomycetales was delineated based on a unique suite of zoospore ultrastructural characters and currently includes five genera and 14 validly published species, all of which have a propensity for soil habitats. We generated DNA sequences from small (SSU), large (LSU) and 5.8S ribosomal subunit genes to assess the monophyly of all genera and species in this order.

Rhizophlyctidales--a new order in Chytridiomycota.

Rhizophlyctis rosea (Chytridiomycota) is an apparently ubiquitous, soil-inhabiting, cellulose-degrading chytrid that is the type for Rhizophlyctis. Previous studies have revealed multiple zoospore subtypes among morphologically indistinguishable isolates in the R. rosea complex sensu Barr.

Ultrastructural and molecular analyses of Rhizophydiales (Chytridiomycota) isolates from North America and Argentina.

The Rhizophydiales is the most recently circumscribed order in the Chytridiomycota. Past studies focused on soil chytrids from North America and Australia to determine the range of diversity within this clade of chytrids and established three families (Rhizophydiaceae, Terramycetaceae, and Kappamycetaceae) in the new order. Although Rhizophydiales contains seemingly simple chytrids morphologically, analyses of ribosomal gene sequences and zoospore characters have demonstrated unexpected genetic and ultrastructural diversity, highlighting the need for broader habitat and geographic sampling to reveal the actual diversity within this new order.