Moesziomyces

Moesziomyces is a fungal genus in the family Ustilaginaceae.

They produce sori in the ovaries of grasses, don't have a columella, and have spores with irregular meshes and wings on the surface, bound in firmly agglutinated spore balls. They are Teleomorphs, have a fruiting body.

Moesziomyces spp. are mainly isolated from plant surfaces and provides a natural source of protection against powdery mildews. Several Moesziomyces species have been reported to exhibit biological activity against biodegradable plastics, which are usually used in a number of industrial processes.

Moesziomyces spp. produce a wide range of value-added chemicals (such as secondary metabolites) which contains extracellular glycolipids, such as mannosylerythritol lipids (MEL) and ustilagic acid. These lipids have biosurfactant properties and can be used in pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food applications and are known for their strong fungicidal activity on many species. These are potentially better than soy bean oils.

Specimens of M. aphidis have been collected from water samples and on Rhizophora mangle leaves along the Perequê-Áçu River, located in São Paulo State, Brazil.