Advances in Penicillium and Aspergillus Systematics: (102 NATO Science Series A:)

It is difficult to overestimate the importance of the mould genera Penicillium and Aspergillus in the natural world and in the affairs of man. These are large and ub1quitous genera; several species are beneficial to mankind because of their role in food fermentation or the production of useful antibiotics and enzymes. Others are important as agents of food spoilage. In recent years, these moulds have ga1ned attention because a number of species produce toxic metabo- lites. The great impact of mycotoxicology on food problems, particularly in developing countries has generated a vast body of research. The ecological roles of Aspergillus and Penicil- lium species in nature is also of importance. For the past several decades, the taxonomic treatments of Raper and Thorn (1949) and Raper and Fennell (1965) ~lere the only standard descciptive monographs of Penicillium and Asper- gillus. However, in practice, the identification of these economically important moulds was problematic and caused con- siderable confusion in the literature and subsequently in applied research. In the past ten years, several laboratories have carried out taxonomic research resulting in a number of valuable publications. However, the differences in methodo- logy and species concepts made comparison between the diffe- rent classifications difficult. This confusion in the taxo- nomy and nomenclature of common species is a great handicap to applied and industrial research.

Table of Contents:
The typification and citation of the generic name Penicillium.- Dierckx’ contribution to the taxonomy of Penicillium.- Typification of Aspergillus and related teleomorph genera.- Typification of the Species of Aspergillus and associated teleomorphs.- Infrageneric taxa of Aspergillus.- The penicillus.- Descriptive terminology of the conidiogenous structures in Aspergillus and Penicillium.- The naming of chemical variants in Penicillium and Aspergillus.- Media and incubation conditions for Penicillium and Aspergillus taxonomy.- Evaluation of some morphological features of asymmetric Penicillia on different media.- Bridging the gap: Taxonomists and food mycologists.- The closely related species of subgenus Penicillium — a phylogenic exploration.- A revised key to Penicillium Subgenus Penicillium.- Revision of recently described Penicillium taxa.- The genus Coremium and the synnematous Penicillia.- Inherent problems in Penicillium taxonomy.- A new taxonomic scheme for Penicillium anamorphs.- Aspergillus: an overview.- The theory and practise of distinguishing species of the Aspergillus flavus group.- Similarities between the genera Stilbothamnium and Aspergillus.- Classification of fungi through nucleic acid relatedness.- Ecological adaptation and classification in Aspergillus and Penicillium.- Serological approaches for identification of Aspergillus and Penicillium species.- An integrated approach to Penicillium systematics.- Profiles of primary and secondary metabolites of value in classification of Penicillium viridicatum and related species.- Classification of asymmetric Penicillia using expressions of differentiation.- Taxonomic implication of hybridization of Penicillium protoplasts.- Solutions to some problems in Aspergillus taxonomy using the scanning electronmicroscope.- The Trichocomaceae: Relationships with other Ascomycetes.- Nomenclatorial and taxonomic problems in the genus Eurotium.- The ascomycete genus Penicilliopsis and its anamorphs.- Contribution to our knowledge of Aspergillus teleomorphs: some taxonomic problems.- Secondary metabolites as an aid to Emericella classification.- Are the species of Penicillium as imperfect as we think?.- 7: Recommendations.- List of workshop participants.