Clavicipitalean Fungi - Evolutionary Biology, Chemistry, Biocontrol And Cultural Impacts (Hardcover, New)

The clavicipitaleans have a long, bittersweet relationship with humans. Clavicipitaleans such as Claviceps and Epichloe were the causes of several human and animal toxicoses throughout recorded history. Claviceps and Cordyceps were the sources of a treasure chest of medicines that have benefited millions of people. Clavicipitaleans have found applications in biocontrol of insects, nematodes, and fungi. As much as we know about them, there is much more to learn about their evolutionary development on a genomic and biochemical level. Clavicipitalean Fungi: Evolutionary Biology, Chemistry, Biocontrol, and Cultural Impacts provides a foundation for developing knowledge of the entire family. This reference analyzes the ecology, evolution, genetics, physiology, and taxonomy of this diverse group of fungi for identification of common biological, biochemical, and genetic features and discovery of potential medical and agricultural applications. It traces and reconstructs the evolution of various host-endoparasite systems and studies recent taxonomic research and DNA sequence analyses on plant-infecting clavicipitaleans. Providing a holistic view of the entire clavicipitalean family, the book compares morphologic, geographic, and host variations among various clavicipitalean populations and examines key discoveries and compounds obtained in clavicipitalean studies.