![cover image](https://wikiwandv2-19431.kxcdn.com/_next/image?url=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/23/A_gossypii.jpg/640px-A_gossypii.jpg&w=640&q=50)
Eremothecium gossypii
Species of fungus / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dear Wikiwand AI, let's keep it short by simply answering these key questions:
Can you list the top facts and stats about Eremothecium gossypii?
Summarize this article for a 10 year old
Eremothecium gossypii[1] (also known as Ashbya gossypii[2]) is a filamentous fungus or mold closely related to yeast, but growing exclusively in a filamentous way. It was originally isolated from cotton as a pathogen causing stigmatomycosis by Ashby and Nowell in 1926. This disease affects the development of hair cells in cotton bolls and can be transmitted to citrus fruits, which thereupon dry out and collapse (dry rot disease). In the first part of the 20th century, E. gossypii and two other fungi causing stigmatomycosis (Eremothecium coryli, Aureobasidium pullulans) made it virtually impossible to grow cotton in certain regions of the subtropics, causing severe economical losses. Control of the spore-transmitting insects - cotton stainer (Dysdercus suturellus) and Antestiopsis (antestia bugs) - permitted full eradication of infections. E. gossypii was recognized as a natural overproducer of riboflavin (vitamin B2), which protects its spores against ultraviolet light. This made it an interesting organism for industries, where genetically modified strains are still used to produce this vitamin.
This article needs additional citations for verification. (December 2023) |
Eremothecium gossypii | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Fluorescent micrograph of Eremothecium gossypii mycelium. | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | |
Phylum: | |
Subphylum: | |
Class: | |
Order: | |
Family: | |
Genus: | |
Species: | E. gossypii |
Subspecies: | ATCC 10895, FDAG |
Binomial name | |
Eremothecium gossypii (S.F. Ashby & W. Nowell) Kurtzman, 1995 | |
Synonyms | |
|