The document provides an overview of the phylum Deuteromycota, highlighting its characteristics as a group of asexual fungi known as 'imperfect fungi' due to the absence of observed sexual reproduction. It discusses the economic importance of various members, including their roles in causing diseases like athlete's foot, producing antibiotics like penicillin, and affecting agriculture through plant pathogens. Additionally, it notes the potential for using certain fungi in biological control of crop pests and soil-borne diseases.

1. Phylum Deuteromycota
Dinithi Vihanga De Silva

3. CONTENT
1. Introduction of Phylum Deuteromycota
2. Characteristics of Phylum Deuteromycota
3. Economical importance of members of phylum Deuteromycota
4. Trichophyton interdigidale ( cause Athlete’s foot disease)
5. Monilinia fructigena (brown rots)
6. Penicillium roquefortii ( manufacture of blue chesses)
7. Penicillium chrysogenum - Antibiotic penicillin
8. Plant pathogens
9. Human pathogens - Candida species
10. Human/Animal pathogens -Dermatomycosis
11. Biological control of soil-borne diseases

4. Introduction of Phylum Deuteromycota
 Phylum Deuteromycota is a polyphyletic group of asexually-
reproducing fungi that do not display a sexual phase; they are
known as imperfect.
 They do not fit into the commonly established taxonomic
classifications of fungi that are based on biological species
concepts or morphological characteristics of sexual structures
because their sexual form of reproduction has never been
observed , hence the name imperfect fungi.

5. The Deuteromycota has four orders.
1) Moniliales
2) Sphaeropsidales
3) Melanconiales
4) Mycelia Sterlia

6. Characteristics of Phylum Deuteromycota
• Most Deuteromycota live on land with a few aquatic exceptions.
• They form visible mycelia with a fuzzy appearance called ‘mold’.
• Deuteromycota don’t possess the sexual structures that are used the classify other fungi.
They are strictly asexual reproduction and conidial spores are produced.
• Most Deuteromycota have a well-developed, septate mycelium with distinct
conidiophores. but some have a unicellular thallus.
• With the exception of one group, all members reproduce by means of special spores
known as conidia. A few imperfect fungi lack conidia and form only sclerotia.
• Recombination of genetic material is known to take place between the different nuclei
after some hyphae recombine.

7. • There is a tremendous variety of morphologically different conidia produced
and they may be spherical, ovoid, elongated , star-shaped and so on. And
also conidia may be hyaline or colored.
• They may be one-celled to many-celled, with either transverse septa or both
transverse and longitudinal septa.
• They have a parasexual life cycle which plasmogamy,karyogamy and
haploidization takes place , but not in particular place in thallus nor at any
specific period during its life cycle. Its haplodization is not meiosis ,it is infact
a series of errors in mitosis.
Cont…….

8. Economical importance of members of phylum Deuteromycota
 Ripen some cheese - Penicillium roquefortii ( manufacture of blue chesses)
 Antibiotic penicillin - Penicillium chrysogenum
 Cause serious diseases - Trichophyton interdigidale( Athlete’s foot disease)
- Monilinia fructigena (fruit rots)
 Potent toxic compounds
 Plant pathogens
 Human pathogens - Candida species including Candida albicans
 Animal &human pathogens - Dermatomycosis
 Biological control of soil-borne diseases

9. Trichophyton interdigidale ( cause Athlete’s foot disease)
Economic/ecological significance
• It is painful and irritating
• There is a need to find new and more effective treatment
against Athlete’s foot.
• Affect footwear design
• Affect footcare industry
Trichophyton interdigidale live on the bottom of the peoples feet thrives because of the warm
moist skin caused by wearing socks and shoes all the time in current society , it can easily infect a human foot. It is
possible that everyone will, at some point, get this disease. Signs and symptoms : include a scarly rash that usually
cause itching , stinging and burning. And also , it is learning to resist many treatments and is slowly becoming
immune to known treatment. It cause Athlete’s foot along with many other organisms including Epidermophyton
floccosum , Microsporum and human disease (ugly toenail fungus).
Figure 01 - foot infection

10. Monilinia fructigena (brown rots)
Monilinia establishes infections in apple
orchards , typically through wounds caused by insects or man. Fruit
that has fallen and is left on the ground is the source of infection for
the next season. It shrinks and mummifies over winter. The fungi
invade the apple or fruit tissues and kills them by releasing enzymes.
Pectic enzymes are released and that break down the gel-like pectic
compounds which cement the apple cells together.( polygalacturonic
enzyme)
A single rotten fruit can lead to a chain reaction. The damage cause
by fruit rotting fungi in a even a single fruit in a package leads to the
generation of ethylene and thus, to the premature ripening of the
other fruit.
Figure 02 – brown rots in apple
Economic/ecological significance
• This is the pre – and postharvest disease of pome( apple) and
stone fruits worldwide.

11. Penicillium roquefortii ( manufacture of blue chesses)
Penicillium roquefortii is a common saprobic imperfecti fungus that can be isolated from
many sources mostly organic or humus sources. This is used in the manufacture of blue cheeses eg; Roquefort ,
Gorgonzola , Stilton , Danish Blue etc. During the fermentation process , fungus spores are injected into the curd.
Growth of the fungus gives a pleasant tang to the final product. The blue in the blue cheese is caused by the blue
pigment in the spores ( conidia) of the fungus. When eating blue cheese means consuming millions of spores.
Economic/ecological significance
• Industrial uses. Flavorings , proteases , antibacterial agents
,polysaccharides and blue cheeses.
• Penicillium roquefortii gives unique flavour to cheese.
• This fungus is safe to use as flavorings and for cheese.
• This fungus produce many mycotoxins which are strong but not
stable. But this does not really pose a threat to human.
Figure 03 – pigment in the spores and blue cheese

12. Penicillium chrysogenum - Antibiotic penicillin
Penicillium chrysogenum is an antibiotic which first discovered and also source for penicillium , isolated from
growing penicillium mold ina fermenter. The mold in a grown in a liquid culture containing sugar and other
nutrients including a source of nitrogen. As the mold grows, it uses up the sugar and starts to make penicillium
only after using up most of the nutrients for growth.
Economic/ecological significance
• Widely used antibiotic prescribed to treat staphylococci
and streptococci bacterial infections.
• Penicillium inhibit bacterial cell growth that eventually
kills the bacteria.
• This is the efficacious in the treatment of infection and
inexpensive in comparision with other antibiotics.
Figure 04 - Antibiotic penicillin

13. Plant pathogens
A number of species is parasitic on higher plants,
causing serious Adiseases of leaves and fruits.
Special mention may be made of,
• Alternaria solani causes early blight of potatoes and
tomatoes
• Helminthosporium oryzae causes brown spot of rice
• Pyricularia oryzae causes blast of rice
• Septoria tritici causes leaf blotch of wheat
• Colletotrichum gloeosporioides causes anthracnose
of mango
• Fusarium oxysporum var. cubense causes panama
wilt of banan
• , Fusarium udum causes wilt of pigeon pea
• Cercospora personata causes leaf spot or tikka
disease of ground-nut.
Figure 05- Alternaria solani infection
Figure 06- fusarium spp. infected plants

14. Human pathogens - Candida species
This disease, called moniliasis, chiefly of the
fingers, is caused by Candida albicans. Species of Candida
also cause a throat and mouth disease called thrush,
pulmonary infections, infection of the mucous membranes
of the genital organs, and various other diseases. Candida
albicans is the most common fungal pathogen of humans
and accounts for a large proportion of all fungal diseases.
C. albicans thus represents a serious public health
challenge, with increasing medical and social‐economical
importance. The majority of infections are at mucosal
surfaces, with many patients suffering from debilitating and
often recurring diseases. Candida is found worldwide but
most commonly compromises immunocompromised
individuals diagnosed with serious diseases such as HIV and
cancer.
Figure 07 – Candida infections

15. Human/Animal pathogens -Dermatomycosis
Dermatomycosis is the medical term for
fungal infection can happen any time there are injured or
pathologically changed skin areas. Most of the mycoses are
induced by the Deuteromycetes. Fungi causing diseases of the
skin of human beings, animals, or both are known as the
dermatophytes or ringworm fungi and the diseases are
dermatomycoses (sing, dermatomycosis). These fungi cause
ringworm of the scalp (found chiefly in children) or other hairy
parts of the smooth skin, of the nails and of the hands and feet.
fungal infections are called mycoses, are
among the most common diseases seen in temperate fish.
Because fungal spores are found in all fish ponds and create
problems in stressed fish. Poor water quality can also lead to an
increase in fungal infections in an otherwise healthy fish
population. It affects the fish industry and reduce the healthy
fish harvest.
Figure 08- as human pathogen
Figure 09- animal/ fish pathogens

16. Several of the Deuteromycetes are able to trap nematodes
(microscopic roundworms that often infest the roots of crop plants)
by forming hyphal rings which constrict about the nematode when
stimulated by contact.
Special mention may be made of Arthrobotrys oligospora, Dactylella
cionopaga whose mycelia form sticky processes, loops or branches to
which nematodes adhere, other hyphae then invade and digest them.
'A. oligospora' is the model organism for interactions between fungi
and nematodes.
Thereby these Deuteromycetes reduce the disease incidence due to
nematode of the crop plants. Nematode capturing fungi such as the
A. oligospora can be used to control growth of nematodes. This
means that they can be potentially used as a bio-control agent to
protect crops against nematode infestations
Biological control of soil-borne diseases
Figure 10– interaction between fungi &
nematoda

17. References…..
 https://www.google.com/search?q=fusarium+udam&sxsrf=ALeKk03czwU
 https://cals.arizona.edu/classes/plp427L/lab12.html
 https://bio.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Introductory_and_General_Biology/Book%3A_General_Biol
ogy_(Boundless)
 http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.25.6055&rep=rep1&type=pdf
 http://researchgate.com

18. Thank you