Critical Reviews in Microbiology, 18(5/6):285-395 (1992) Victor Sprague,2 James J. Be~nel,~ and Edwin 1. Hazard CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................ 286 HISTORY ............................................................................................................................................. 286 PROCEDURE ....................................................................................................................................... 288 CHECKLIST OF AVAILABLE GENERIC NAMES ........................................................................ 289 THE TAXONOMIC DATA ................................................................................................................. 29 1 Synonymy Type host Transmission Site of infection Interface Other parasite-host cell relations The haplophase Meront and merogony Schizont and schizogony Transition to sporogony Sporont and sporogony spore Type locality Deposition of type specimens Remarks THE TYPE SPECIES ........................................................................................................................... 299 THE CHROMOSOME CYCLES AND THE HIGH-LEVEL TAXA ................................................ 373 THE CLASSIFICATION WITHOUT DEFINITIONS OF TAXA .................................................... 376 THE CLASSIFICATION WITH DEFINITIONS OF TAXA ............................................................. 378 GLOSSARY ......................................................................................................................................... 382 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .................................................................................................................... 385 LITERATURE CITED ......................................................................................................................... 385 FOOTNOTES ....................................................................................................................................... 395 1040-84 1 x/92/$.50 0 1992 by CRC Press, Inc. 285 INTRODUCTION new classification was published by Issi (1986)? Most importantly, significant new advances in knowledge of the chromosome cycle were made; Before the middle of the present century, insights gained largely from these advances were knowledge of this extremely large and ubiquitous critically important in implementing the original group of minute organisms was very fragmentary purpose, to prepare a classification using differ- and quite superficial. Consequently, the classifi- ences in nuclear state and chromosome cycles as cations of microsporidia were necessarily simple the most basic characters. and artificial structures that were built on like- During this preparation it became evident that nesses and differences in superficial characters. there is a general need for a better understanding Then, for various reasons (application of modem of the...