1;Series Preface;7 2;It is Time to Retire;10 3;Volume Preface;11 4;Contents;13 5;Chapter 1: Recent Developments in the Molecular Taxonomy of Fungi;20 5.1;I. Introduction;20 5.2;II. Non-Fungal Organisms Studied by Mycologists;21 5.2.1;A. Slime Moulds;21 5.2.2;B. Plasmodiophora and Related Species;22 5.2.3;C. Straminipila;23 5.2.4;D. Haptoglossa;24 5.3;III. The `Basal Fungi´;24 5.3.1;A. Microsporidia;24 5.3.2;B. Chytrids;25 5.3.3;C. Zygomycete-Type Fungi;25 5.3.4;D. Glomeromycota;26 5.4;IV. Ascomycota;26 5.4.1;A. Taphrinomycotina;26 5.4.2;B. Saccharomycotina;26 5.4.3;C. Pezizomycotina;26 5.5;V. Basidiomycota;28 5.5.1;A. Pucciniomycotina;28 5.5.2;B. Ustilaginomycotina;30 5.5.3;C. Agaricomycotina;30 5.6;VI. Conclusions;32 5.7;References;32 6;Chapter 2: Sordaria macrospora, a Model System for Fungal Development;35 6.1;I. Introduction;35 6.1.1;A. Fungal Organisms as Model Systems for Developmental Biology;35 6.1.2;B. Why Choose Sordaria macrospora?;36 6.2;II. Biology;37 6.2.1;A. Life Cycle;37 6.2.2;B. Homothallism;38 6.3;III. Phylogeny;40 6.4;IV. Mutants and Morphology;40 6.5;V. Molecular and Genetic Tools;42 6.5.1;A. Tetrad Analysis;43 6.5.2;B. DNA-Mediated Transformations and Gene Libraries;44 6.5.3;C. Tools for Fluorescence Microscopy;45 6.5.4;D. Functional Genomics;48 6.5.5;VI. Developmental Biology and Components of Signalling Pathways;48 6.5.6;A. Pheromones and Pheromone Receptors;49 6.5.7;B. Heterotrimeric G Proteins;49 6.5.8;C. Adenylyl Cyclase;50 6.5.9;D. Transcription Factors;51 6.5.10;E. Novel Developmental Proteins;52 6.6;VII Conclusions;54 6.7;References;54 7;Chapter 3: Inteins - Selfish Elements in Fungal Genomes;58 7.1;I. Introduction;58 7.1.1;A. General Characteristics of Inteins;59 7.1.2;B. Protein Splicing MechanismProtein splicing mechanism;61 7.2;II. Inteins in Fungi;63 7.2.1;A. VMA1 InteinsVMA1 inteins of Saccharomycete Yeasts;63 7.2.2;B. PRP8 Inteins in Fungi;63 7.2.2.1;1. Distribution of PRP8 InteinsPRP8 inteins in Fungi;63 7.2.2.2;2. Activity of Fungal PRP8 Inteins;66 7.2.3;C. Other Fungal Inteins;67 7.3;III. Mobility, Evolution, and Domestication of Inteins;69 7.3.1;A. Mobility of Fungal InteinsMobility of fungal inteins;69 7.3.2;B. Evolution of Fungal InteinsEvolution of fungal inteins;70 7.3.3;C. Domestication of Fungal Inteins;71 7.4;IV. Application of Inteins;71 7.4.1;A. Inteins and Their Application in Protein-Protein Interactionprotein-protein interaction Studies;71 7.4.2;B. Regulation of Protein-Splicing Activity;72 7.4.3;C. Intein-Mediated Protein Purificationprotein purification;73 7.4.4;D. Screening Systems for Protein-Splicing Inhibitorssplicing inhibitors;73 7.5;V. Conclusions;74 7.6;References;74 8;Chapter 4: Apoptosis in Fungal Development and Ageing;79 8.1;I. General Description of Apoptosis;79 8.1.1;A. Apoptosis in Mammals;79 8.1.2;B. Apoptosis in Fungi;81 8.1.3;C. Differences Between Fungal and Mammalian Apoptosis;82 8.2;II. Apoptosis in Fungal Development;82 8.2.1;A. Apoptosis in Host-Pathogen and Antagonistic Interactions;82 8.2.2;B. Apoptosis During Fungal Reproduction;85 8.2.3;C. The Role of Apoptosis in Fungal Lifespan Control;87 8.3;III. Concluding Remarks and Future Directions;89 8.4;References;90 9;Chapter 5: Communication of Fungi on Individual, Species, Kingdom, and Above Kingdom Levels;95 9.1;I. Introduction;95 9.2;II. Communication Within and Between Fungal Colonies - Vegetative Interactions;96 9.2.1;A. Communication in Mediating Vegetative Fusions Within Fungal Colonies;96 9.2.2;B. Communication in Mediating Vegetative Fusions Between Different Individuals of Filamentous Ascomycetes;97 9.2.3;C. Communication in Mediating Vegetative Fusions Between Different Individuals of Basidiomycetes;97 9.2.4;D. Communication in Population Growth Control and Germination;100 9.2.5;E. Communication in Dimorphism and Asexual Reproduction;102 9.3;III. Communication Between Fungi in Sexual Interactions;103 9.3.1;A. Communication in Mating;103 9.3.2;B. Communication in Fruiting Body Development;104