Research topics: Chytridiomycete systematics and phylogeny; chytrid pathogen of amphibians

Research program: I am interested in the systematics and ecology of aquatic fungi. My current research is focused on determining monophyletic genera in the Chytridiales (Chytridiomycetes, Chytridiomycota). This involves isolating and maintaining chytrids in pure culture, studying developmental morphology at the light microscopic level, determining taxonomic characters from serial sections of zoospores viewed with transmission electron microscopy, and furnishing cultures to others who determine molecular characters. Also, I isolate and study Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, a chytrid pathogen of amphibians.

Selected Publications

J.E. Longcore. 2004. Rhizophydium brooksianum sp. nov., a multipored chytrid from soil. Mycologia 96: 162-171.

Piotrowski, J.S., S.L. Annis, J.E. Longcore. 2004. Physiology of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, a chytrid pathogen of amphibians. Mycologia 96: 9-15.

Boyle, D.G., A.D. Hyatt, P. Daszak, L. Berger, J.E. Longcore, D. Porter, S.G. Hengstberger, V. Olsen. 2003. Cryo-archiving of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis and other Chytridiomycetes. Diseases of Aquatic Organsims 56: 59-64.

Bullerwell, C.E., J. Leigh, E. Seif, J.E. Longcore, B.F. Lang. 2003. Evolution of the fungi and their mitochondrial genomes. In: Applied Mycology and Biotechnology, Vol. 3: Fungal Genomics. D.K. Arora and G.G. Khachatourians, Eds. Elsevier Science, The Netherlands, pp 133-160.

Davidson, E.W., M. Parris, J.P. Collins, J.E. Longcore, A.P. Pessier, J.Brunner. 2003. Pathogenicity and transmission of chytridiomycosis in tiger salamanders (Ambystoma tigrinum). Copeia 2003: 601-607.  

Morehouse, E.A., T.Y. James, A.R.D. Ganley, R. Vilgalys, L. Berger, P.J. Murphy, J.E. Longcore. 2003. Multilocus sequence typing suggests the chytrid pathogen of  amphibians is a recently emerged clone. Molecular Ecology 12: 395-403.

Carey, C., D.F. Bradford, J.L. Brunner, J.P. Collins, E.W. Davidson, J.E. Longcore, M. Ouellet, A.P. Pessier and D.M. Schock. 2003. Biotic factors in the decline of amphibian populations. In: Multiple stressors and declining amphibian populations: evaluating cause and effect. G. Linder, D.W. Sparling, and S.K. Krest, editors. Society of Environmental Chemistry and Toxnicology, Pensacola, Florida, USA.

Berger, L., A.D. Hyatt, V. Olsen, S. Hengstberger, D. Boyle, G. Marantelli, K. Humphries and J.E. Longcore. 2002. Production of polyclonal antibodies to Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis and their use in an immunoperoxidase test for chytridiomycosis in ampibians. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms. 48: 213-220.

Bradley, G.A., P. C. Rosen, M.J. Sredl, T.R. Jones and J.E. Longcore. 2002. Chytridiomycosis in three species of native Arizona frogs (Rana yavapaiensis, Rana chiricauhuensis and Hyla arenicolor). Journal of Wildlife Diseases 38: 206-212.

Rollins-Smith, L.A., J.K. Doersam, J.E. Longcore, S.K. Tayler, J.C. Shamblin, C. Carey and M.A. Zazloff. 2002. Antimicrobial peptide defenses against pathogens associated with global amphibian declines. Dev. Comp. Immunol. 26: 471-479.

Shearer, C.A., D.M. Langsam and J.E. Longcore. 2002. Fungi in freshwater habitats. In: Measuring and Monitoring Biological Diversity: Standard Methods for Fungi. Mueller, G.M., G.F. Bills, and M.S. Foster [Eds]. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C. (in press).

Rollins-Smith, L.A., C. Carey, J.E. Longcore, J.K. Doersam, A. Boutte, J.E. Bruzgal and M. Conlon. 2002. Activity of antimicrobial skin peptides from ranid frogs against Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, the chytrid fungus associated with global amphibian declines. Dev. Comp. Immunol. 26: 471-479.

Collins, J.P., N. Cohen, E.W. Davidson, J.E. Longcore and A. Storfer. 2002. Global amphibian declines: an interdisciplinary research challenge for the 21st century. In: Status and conservation of U.S. amphibians. Volume 1: Conservation essays. M.J. Lannoo, editor. University of California Press, Berkeley, California. 43-52.

Fellers, G.M., D.E. Green and J.E. Longcore. 2001. Oral chytridiomycosis in the mountain yellow-legged frog (Rana muscosa). Copeia 2001: 945-953.

Shin, W., S.M. Boo and J.E. Longcore. 2001. Entophlyctis apiculata, a chytrid parasite of Chlamydomonas sp. (Chlorophyceae). Can. J. Bot. 79: 1083-1089.

Nichols, D.K., E.W. Lamirande, A.P. Pessier, and J.E. Longcore. 2001. Experimental transmission of cutaneous chytridiomycosis in dendrobatid frogs. Journal of Wildlife Diseases 37: 1-11.

Longcore, J.E. 2001. Chytridiomycota. In: Encyclopedia of Life Sciences, McMillan, London.

James, T.Y., D. Porter, C.A. Leander, R. Vilgalys, and J.E. Longcore. 2000. Molecular phylogenetics of the Chytridiomycota supports the utility of ultrastructrural data in chytrid systematics. Can. J. Bot. 78: 336-350.

Other publications from this laboratory