ABSTRACT
In the past decade several Phytophthora strains were isolated from diseased Pachysandra terminalis plants suffering stem base and root rot, originating from the Netherlands and Belgium. All isolates were homothallic and had a felt-like colony pattern, produced semi-papillate sporangia, globose oogonia and had a maximum growth at ~ 27 C. Several additional Phytophthora strains were isolated from diseased Buxus sempervirens plants, originating from the Netherlands and Belgium, which had sustained stem base and root rot; similar strains also were isolated from Acer palmatum, Choisya ternata and Taxus in the United Kingdom. All isolates were homothallic and had a stellate colony pattern, produced larger semi-papillate sporangia and smaller globose oogonia than the isolates from Pa. terminalis and had a maximum growth temperature of ~ 30 C. Phylogenetic analyses of both species using the internal transcribed spacer region of the nuc rDNA (ITS), mt cytochrome oxidases subunit I gene (CoxI) and nuc translation elongation factor 1-α gene (TEF1α) revealed that all sequences of each species were identical at each locus and unique to that species, forming two distinct clusters in subclade 2a. Sequence analysis of partial ß-tubulin genes showed that both taxa share an identical sequence that is identical to that of Ph. himalsilva, a species originating from Asia, suggesting a common Asian origin. Pathogenicity trials demonstrated disease symptoms on their respective hosts, and re-isolation and re-identification of the inoculated pathogens confirmed Koch's postulates.
Subject(s)
Phytophthora/isolation & purification , Plant Diseases/microbiology , Plants/microbiology , Europe , Molecular Sequence Data , Phylogeny , Phytophthora/classification , Phytophthora/genetics , Phytophthora/growth & development , Spores, Fungal/classification , Spores, Fungal/genetics , Spores, Fungal/growth & development , Spores, Fungal/isolation & purificationABSTRACT
The first natural hybrids in the genus Phytophthora were described in 1998, and they were the result of hybridization between P. nicotianae and P. cactorum. They were described formally as Phytophthora × pelgrandis in 2009. In 2007 a second type of P. cactorum hybrid species was described, generated by hybridization between P. hedraiandra and P. cactorum; it is described formally here as P. × serendipita sp. nov. The morphological description of P. ×pelgrandis was incomplete and here we also add several important diagnostic characters of P. × pelgrandis that were not in its original description. In addition, ITS-SSCP profiles are presented confirming the hybrid identity of both P. × pelgrandis and P. × serendipita.
Subject(s)
Hybridization, Genetic/genetics , Phytophthora/genetics , Plant Diseases/parasitology , Polymorphism, Single-Stranded Conformational/genetics , Capsicum/parasitology , DNA, Ribosomal Spacer/genetics , Hyphae/growth & development , Hyphae/ultrastructure , Phytophthora/classification , Phytophthora/growth & development , Phytophthora/ultrastructure , Seeds/microbiology , Sporangia/growth & development , Sporangia/ultrastructure , Spores/growth & development , Spores/ultrastructure , TemperatureABSTRACT
Eight strains belonging to the Oomycete genus Phytophthora were isolated from Zostera marina (seagrass) in The Netherlands over the past 25 y. Based on morphology, isozymes, temperature-growth relationships and ITS sequences, these strains were found to belong to two different Phytophthora species. Five strains, four of them isolated from rotting seeds and one isolated from decaying plants, could not be assigned to a known species and hence belong to a new species for which we propose the name Phytophthora gemini sp. nov. Three strains were isolated from decaying plants and were identified as Phytophthora inundata, thereby expanding the known habitat range of this species from fresh to brackish-saline areas. The possible role of both Phytophthora species in the decline of Z. marina in The Netherlands and the evolutionary significance of the presence of Phytophthora species in marine environments are discussed.
