Pseudogymnoascus destructans

Pseudogymnoascus destructans
In white nose syndrome, Pseudogymnoascus destructans can be found growing on the muzzle, wing, and ear of bats, in this case, a little brown bat.
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Ascomycota
Class: Leotiomycetes
Order: Thelebolales
Family: Pseudeurotiaceae
Genus: Pseudogymnoascus
Species:
P. destrucans
Binomial name
Pseudogymnoascus destrucans
Synonyms
  • Geomyces destructans Blehert et al. 2008

Pseudogymnoascus destructans (formerly known as Geomyces destructans) is a psychrophilic (cold-loving) fungus that causes white-nose syndrome (WNS), a fatal disease that has devastated bat populations in parts of the United States and Canada. Unlike species of Geomyces, P. destructans forms asymmetrically curved conidia.[1] Pseudogymnoascus destructans grows very slowly on artificial media and cannot grow at temperatures above 20 °C.[1][2][3] It can grow around 4 °C to 20 °C, which encompasses the temperatures found in winter bat hibernacula.[1][2] Phylogenic evaluation has revealed this organism should be reclassified under the family Pseudeurotiaceae, changing its name to Pseudogymnoascus destructans.[4]

  1. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference Gargas was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Chaturvedi was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Verant ML, Boyles JG, Waldrop W, Wibbelt G, Blehart DS (September 2012). "Temperature-dependent growth of Geomyces destructans, the fungus that causes bat white-nose syndrome". PLOS ONE. 7 (9): e46280. Bibcode:2012PLoSO...746280V. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0046280. PMC 3460873. PMID 23029462.
  4. ^ Minnis AM, Lindner DL (July 2013). "Phylogenetic evaluation of Geomyces and allies reveals no close relatives of Pseudogymnoascus destructans, comb. nov., in bat hibernacula of eastern North America". Fungal Biology. 117 (9): 638–49. doi:10.1016/j.funbio.2013.07.001. PMID 24012303.