This month Mycological Research News features the role of mitogen activated protein kinase genes in the pathogenicity of fungi, and the importance of hydrophobins.

The 16 papers in this issue cover the molecular phylogeny of Schizopora, a revision of some species in Fusarium sections Fusarium and Roseum by RFLP methods, and an investigation of the differences in the ITS regions of special forms of F. solani. Ecogeographical variation in Pleurotus eryngii is documented, and the effects of hydroxyl radical scavengers on sclerotial formation in two plant pathogens demonstrated.

Some plant pathogenic fungi are eaten by collembolans, but others are lethal to these organisms. Licuala palms prove to be rich in endophytic fungi, and cultural groups of the endophyte Phialocephala fortinii are compared by molecular methods. An isolate of Flavodon flavus with potential applications in bioremediation has been discovered, and oosporein found dominant in Beauveria brongniartii products. The behaviour of Aschersonia aleyrodis conidia on different hosts has been investigated, and two kinds of conidia have been discovered in Conidiobolus adiaeretus.

The discovery of a high α-amylase producing Aspergillus oryzae strain is reported, Melampsora larici-tremulae has been successfully cultured, and the ‘gun cells’ of Haptoglossa dickii have been investigated ultrastructurally.

The issue concludes with an obituary of Guido Pontecorvo.

The following new scientific names and introduced: Fusarium aywerte (syn. F. avenaceum subsp. aywerte), and F. nurragi (syn. F. avenaceum susbsp. nurragi) combs. nov.