Why is Phytophthora kernoviae described as a fungus-like pathogen?
P. kernoviae belongs to a group of organisms known as the oomycetes. Until recently oomycetes were believed to be fungi as they have many characteristics, such as spores and hyphae, which are also shared by fungal species. However, DNA sequence analysis in the 1990s indicated that the oomycetes are actually more closely related to algal groups, particularly the diatoms and brown algae. Consequently oomycetes were placed in a separate taxonomic kingdom, the kingdom Chromista as opposed to kingdom Fungi.
