Onygenales

Onygenales is an order of fungi in the class Eurotiomycetes. This order contains species that are saprophytic, parasitic, or pathogenic to humans and animals. The order includes the families Ajellomycetaceae, Arthrodermataceae, Gymnoascaceae, Myxotrichaceae, and Onygenaceae.

Taxonomy

The order Onygenales was first described by the mycologist John N. Couch in 1938. The order is part of the class Eurotiomycetes, which is within the phylum Ascomycota. The order contains five families: Ajellomycetaceae, Arthrodermataceae, Gymnoascaceae, Myxotrichaceae, and Onygenaceae.

Characteristics

Species in the order Onygenales are characterized by their ability to degrade keratin, a protein found in skin, hair, and nails. This ability allows them to act as pathogens in humans and animals. Some species are also saprophytic, meaning they feed on dead or decaying organic matter.

Pathogenicity

Several species in the order Onygenales are pathogenic to humans and animals. These include species in the genera Blastomyces, Histoplasma, Coccidioides, and Paracoccidioides, which cause diseases such as blastomycosis, histoplasmosis, coccidioidomycosis, and paracoccidioidomycosis, respectively.

See also

• List of Onygenales genera
• Fungal keratinase

References

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External links

• Onygenales at NCBI