Skip to main content
ARS Home » Midwest Area » Peoria, Illinois » National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research » Mycotoxin Prevention and Applied Microbiology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #283399
Title: One Fungus, One Name: Defining the genus Fusarium in a scientifically robust way that preserves longstanding use

Author
item GEISER, DAVID - Pennsylvania State University
item AOKI, TAKAYUKI - National Institute Of Agrobiological Sciences (NIAS)
item Bacon, Charles
item BAKER, SCOTT - Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
item BHATTACHARYYA, MADAN - Iowa State University
item BRANDT, MARY - Centers For Disease Control And Prevention (CDC) - United States
item Brown, Daren
item BURGESS, LESTER - University Of Sydney
item COLEMAN, JEFFREY - Massachusetts General Hospital
item CORRELL, JAMES - University Of Arkansas
item COVERT, SARAH - University Of Georgia
item CROUS, PEDRO - Fungal Biodiversity
item CUOMO, CHRISTINA - Broad Institute Of Mit/harvard
item DE HOOG, G. SYBREN - Fungal Biodiversity
item ELMER, WADE - Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station
item EPSTEIN, LYNN - University Of California
item FRANDSEN, RASMUS - Technical University Of Denmark
item FREEMAN, STANLEY - Volcani Center (ARO)
item Glenn, Anthony - Tony
item GORDON, THOMAS - University Of California
item Hanson, Linda
item DEL MAR JIMENEZ-GASC, MARIA - Pennsylvania State University
item KANG, SEOGCHAN - Pennsylvania State University
item Kistler, Harold
item KULDAU, GRETCHEN - Pennsylvania State University
item McCormick, Susan
item O Donnell, Kerry
item Proctor, Robert
item Rehner, Stephen
item ROBERT, VINCENT - Fungal Biodiversity
item Rooney, Alejandro - Alex
item THRANE, ULF - Technical University Of Denmark
item VAN DIEPENINGEN, ANN - Fungal Biodiversity
item Ward, Todd
item WINGFIELD, MICHAEL - Iowa State University
item YANG, XIAO-BING - Iowa State University

Submitted to: Phytopathology
Publication Type: Other
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/12/2012
Publication Date: 5/1/2013
Citation: Geiser, D.M., Aoki, T., Bacon, C.W., Baker, S.E., Bhattacharyya, M.K., Brandt, M.E., Brown, D.W., Burgess, L.W., Coleman, J.J., Correll, J.C., Covert, S.F., Crous, P.W., Cuomo, C.A., De Hoog, G., Elmer, W.H., Epstein, L., Frandsen, R.J., Freeman, S., Glenn, A.E., Gordon, T.R., Hanson, L.E., Del Mar Jimenez-Gasc, M., Kang, S., Kistler, J., Kuldau, G.A., McCormick, S.P., O'Donnell, K., Proctor, R., Rehner, S.A., Robert, V.A., Rooney, A.P., Thrane, U., Van Diepeningen, A., Ward, T.J., Wingfield, M.J., Yang, X, et. al. 2013. One Fungus, One Name: Defining the genus Fusarium in a scientifically robust way that preserves longstanding use. Phytopathology. 103(5):400-408.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: In this letter, we advocate recognizing the genus Fusarium as the sole name for a group that includes virtually all Fusarium species of importance in plant pathology, mycotoxicology, medicine and basic research. This phylogenetically-guided circumscription will free scientists from any obligation to use other genus names, including teleomorphs, for species nested within this clade, and preserve the application of the name Fusarium in the way it has been used for close to a century. Due to recent changes in the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi and plants (16), this is an urgent matter that requires community attention. The alternative is to break the longstanding concept of Fusarium into nine or more genera, and remove important taxa such as those in the F. solani species complex from the genus, a move we find unnecessary. Here we argue that our proposal will preserve established research connections and facilitate communication within and between research communities, and at the same time support strong scientific principles and good taxonomic practice.