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Downy mildew pathogens of graminicolous hosts (Poaceae) are members of eight morphologically and phylogenetically distinct genera in the Peronosporaceae (Oomycota, Peronosporales). Graminicolous downy mildews (GDMs) cause severe losses in crops such as maize, millets, sorghum, and sugarcane in many parts of the world, especially in tropical climates. In countries where the most destructive GDMs are not endemic, these organisms are often designated as high-risk foreign pathogens and subject to oversight and quarantine by regulatory officials. Thus, there is a need to reliably and accurately identify the causal organisms. This paper provides an overview of the Peronosporaceae species causing graminicolous downy mildew diseases, with a description of their impact on agriculture and the environment, along with brief summaries of the nomenclatural and taxonomic issues surrounding these taxa. Key diagnostic characters are summarized, including DNA sequence data for types and/or voucher specimens, morphological features, and new illustrations. New sequence data for cox2 and 28S rDNA markers are provided from the type specimens of three species, Peronosclerospora philippinensis, Sclerospora iseilematis, and Sclerospora northii. Thirty-nine species of graminicolous downy mildews are accepted, and seven previously invalidly published taxa are validated. Fifty-five specimens are formally designated as types, including lectotypification of 10 species, neotypification of three species, and holotype designation for Sclerophthora cryophila. Citation: Crouch JA, Davis WJ, Shishkoff N, Castroagudín VL, Martin F, Michelmore R, Thines M (2022). Peronosporaceae species causing downy mildew diseases of Poaceae, including nomenclature revisions and diagnostic resources. Fungal Systematics and Evolution 9: 43-86. doi: 10.3114/fuse.2022.09.05.

Background: Pythium ultimum is a ubiquitous oomycete plant pathogen responsible for a variety of diseases on a broad range of crop and ornamental species.Results: The P. ultimum genome (42.8 Mb) encodes 15,290 genes and has extensive sequence similarity and synteny with related Phytophthora species, including the potato blight pathogen Phytophthora infestans. Whole transcriptome sequencing revealed expression of 86% of genes, with detectable differential expression of suites of genes under abiotic stress and in the presence of a host. The predicted proteome includes a large repertoire of proteins involved in plant pathogen interactions, although, surprisingly, the P. ultimum genome does not encode any classical RXLR effectors and relatively few Crinkler genes in comparison to related phytopathogenic oomycetes. A lower number of enzymes involved in carbohydrate metabolism were present compared to Phytophthora species, with the notable absence of cutinases, suggesting a significant difference in virulence mechanisms between P. ultimum and more host-specific oomycete species. Although we observed a high degree of orthology with Phytophthora genomes, there were novel features of the P. ultimum proteome, including an expansion of genes involved in proteolysis and genes unique to Pythium. We identified a small gene family of cadherins, proteins involved in cell adhesion, the first report of these in a genome outside the metazoans.Conclusions: Access to the P. ultimum genome has revealed not only core pathogenic mechanisms within the oomycetes but also lineage-specific genes associated with the alternative virulence and lifestyles found within the pythiaceous lineages compared to the Peronosporaceae. © 2010 Lévesque et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.