Species/Subspecies: Pseudogymnoascus destructans
Category: Animal pathogen
Etymology: Genus name: false naked ascus.
Species epithet: destructive.
Alternative Species Name(s):Geomyces destructans
Significance:In Europe and North Asia, the disease is not very important, because bats seem to be resistant, In North America, on the other hand, the disease has caused mass deaths among bats that goes into hibernation and is a major problem.
  [Important]   
Geographic distribution: This fungus is considered to originate from Europe where it occurs in many countries. Also found in northern Asia, but in Europe and Asia it does not cause any major problems, as bats appear to be resistant here. Recently, it has spread to North America, where it poses a threat to several different bat populations.
Taxonomy:
PhylumClassOrderFamilyGenus
AscomycotaLeotiomycetes"Incertae sedis"PseudeurotiaceaePseudogymnoascus
 "Incertae sedis" means that the taxonomic affiliation has not been established.
Macromorphology (smell): The colonies are greyish and the fungus produce a brownish pigment.
Micromorphology: The conidia have a characteristic curved shape.
Metabolism: P. destructans can utilize nitrate, nitrite, ammonium ions, urea och uric acid as nitrogen source.
Reproduction:P. destructans reproduces asexually with conidia-
Spec. Char.: P. destructans is psychrophilic and it only grows at 5-20°C (41-68°F) and, therefore, thrives on hibernating bats.
Disease/effect: White-nose syndrom (WNS) in bats.
Virulence Factors: Urease, proteinase and superoxide dismutase.
Genome Sequence:
ACC-No GenBankStrain/Isolate# of chromSize (Mbp)
GCF_001641265 20631-21 35.8 

Mitochondrial DNA sequence:
ACC-No GenBankStrain/IsolateNumber of BP
NC_033907 20631-21 32 181 

18S rRNA Seq:
ACC-No GenBankStrain/IsolateNumber of NT
XM_024468172 20631-21 1546 

ITS regions:
ACC-No GenBankStrain/IsolateNumber of NTGenes
NR_111838 ATCC MYA-4855TM 525 18S rRNA, ITS 1, 5.8S rRNA, ITS 2, 28S rRNA 

Taxonomy/phylogeny:
Reference(s): No. 14, 15
Updated:2022-06-22

Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences