Purpureocillium · Lablypedia

In a nutshell

Purpureocillium is a fungal genus in the Ophiocordycipitaceae family. The genus now contains at least 5 species with the type species Purpureocillium lilacinum, a common soil mold. It has been isolated from a wide range of habitats, including cultivated and uncultivated soils, forests, grassland, deserts, estuarine sediments and sewage sludge, and insects. It has also been found in nematode eggs, and occasionally from females of root-knot and cyst nematodes. In addition, it has frequently been detected in the rhizosphere of many crops. The species can grow at a wide range of temperatures – from 8 to 38 °C (46 to 100 °F) for a few isolates, with optimal growth in the range 26 to 30 °C (79 to 86 °F). It also has a wide pH tolerance and can grow on a variety of substrates. P. lilacinum has shown promising results for use as a biocontrol agent to control the growth of destructive root-knot nematodes.

Related on Lably

Through Mold, Soil and Forest

Lab · Class 6–8The Rock Cycle & Soil Lab · Class 6–10Soil and Its Types LabSoil Explorer Lab · Class 6–8Agriculture & Crops

Species and phylogeny

Species fungorum and GBIF currently list:

Purpureocillium atypicola (Yasuda) Spatafora, Hywel-Jones & Luangsa-ard, 2015
Purpureocillium lavendulum Perdomo, Dania García, Gené, Cano & Guarro, 2013
Purpureocillium lilacinum (Thom) Luangsa-ard, Houbraken, Hywel-Jones & Samson, 2011
Purpureocillium roseum Calvillo & Raymundo, 2020
Purpureocillium sodanum Papizadeh, Soudi, Wijayaw., Shahz.Faz. & K.D.Hyde, 2016
Purpureocillium takamizusanense (Kobayasi) S.Ban, Azuma & Hirok.Sato, 2015
a number of unclassified isolates.

P. lilacinum was previously considered to be monotypic and was classified with the Fungi Imperfecti or Deuteromycetes, fungi for which perfect (i.e., sexually reproducing) states have rarely been found. "Paecilomyces lilacinus" was classified in the section Isarioidea, for which perfect states had not been found. Many isolates of P. lilacinum have been identified from around the world and it is accepted that variation exists within the species. Phylogenetic analysis of P. lilacinum isolates show that it is not related to Trichoderma or Gliocladium and is more related to the entomopathogenic Ophiocordyceps

More in Plants

Molecular phylogeneticsBranch of phylogeny that analyzes genetic, hereditary molecular differences MicrometreUnit of length; one millionth of a metre PerennialPlant that lives for more than two years DeciduousPlants that shed leaves seasonally Gram-negative bacteriaGroup of bacteria that do not retain the Gram stain used in bacterial differentiation LegumePlants in the family Fabaceae