| Ustilago | |
|---|---|
| Ustilago maydis (Corn smut) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Phylum: | Basidiomycota |
| Class: | Ustilaginomycetes |
| Order: | Ustilaginales |
| Genus: | Ustilago (Pers.) Roussel 1806 |
| Type species | |
| Ustilago hordei (Pers.) Lagerh. |
|
| Species | |
Ustilago is a genus of approximately 200 smut fungi parasitic on grasses.[1]
There is a large research community that works on Ustilago maydis including researchers at the University of Georgia, Philipps-Universität Marburg, University of British Columbia and others. Research with this organism has led to better understanding of the genetics underlying self-non-self recognition through elucidation of the mating type system as well as fundamental aspects of signal transduction and cell-cycle regulation.
U. maydis is also eaten as a traditional Mexican food known as huitlacoche.
The genome of U. maydis has been sequenced.[2]