Suchergebnisse

The study of ecosystem diversity is being transformed by high throughput sequencing technology that allows an unparalleled depth of sampling of DNA barcode sequences. The opportunities are great at this fascinating interface of pathology, ecology, taxonomy and molecular biology but there are pitfalls. It is important to consider the potential for bias at all steps in the process from sampling through to data analysis. Increasingly Phytophthora diversity is being examined by metabarcoding of the PCR amplified rDNA ITS regions from soil, water or plant sample DNA. We have applied baiting and isolation, cloning and Sanger sequencing and Illumina MiSeq analysis to a time-series of filtered water samples from several Scottish streams within a UK-wide sampling network. These data, the literature and other presentations in this session will be explored in a critical analysis of the field. A specific focus will be placed on exploring the range of species and their boundaries, the potential for species quantification and possible benefits of the technology for plant health legislation.

A severe dieback of Acer pseudoplatanus trees was noticed in planted forest stands in northern Italy in 2010. Affected trees showed collar rot and aerial bleeding cankers along the stems, leading to crown dieback and eventually death. An unknown Phytophthora species was consistently isolated from necrotic bark and xylem tissue and from rhizosphere soil. Based on its unique combination of morphological and physiological characters and phylogenetic analysis, this new taxon is here described as Phytophthora acerina sp. nov. Phylogenetic analysis of ITS, cox1 and beta-tubulin gene regions demonstrated that P. acerina is unique and forms a separate cluster within the 'P. citricola complex', closely related to P. plurivora. Phytophthora acerina is homothallic with smooth-walled oogonia, thick-walled, mostly aplerotic oospores with a high abortion rate, paragynous antheridia, and persistent, morphologically variable semipapillate sporangia. Four to 5-week-old cultures produced globose to subglobose, appressoria-like and coralloid hyphal swellings and characteristic stromata-like hyphal aggregations. Optimum and maximum temperatures for growth are 25 degrees C and 32 degrees C, respectively. Genetic uniformity of all 15 studied isolates and the apparent absence of this species in the extensive surveys of nurseries, forests and seminatural ecosystems conducted in the previous two decades across Europe indicate a recent clonal introduction to northern Italy. Under-bark inoculation tests demonstrated high aggressiveness of P. acerina to A. pseudoplatanus indicating that this pathogen might be a serious risk to maple plantations and forests in Europe. ; Italia Nostra Onlus - Centro della Forestazione Urbana (CFU); Scottish Government ; info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Since its first isolation from Salix roots in 1972, isolates of a sexually sterile Phytophthora species have been obtained frequently from wet or riparian habitats worldwide and have also been isolated from roots of Alnus and Prunus spp. Although originally assigned to Phytophthora gonapodyides on morphological grounds, it was recognized that these isolates, informally named P.taxon Salixsoil, might represent a separate lineage within ITS Clade 6. Based on phylogenetic analyses and comparisons of morphology, growth-temperature relationships and pathogenicity, this taxon is formally described here as Phytophthora lacustris sp. nov. Isolates of P.lacustris form a clearly resolved cluster in both ITS and mitochondrial cox1 phylogenies, basal to most other Clade 6 taxa. Phytophthora lacustris shares several unusual behavioural properties with other aquatic Clade 6 species, such as sexual sterility and tolerance of high temperatures, that have been suggested as adaptations to riparian conditions. It appears to be widespread in Europe and has also been detected in Australia, New Zealand and the USA. It was shown to be weakly or moderately aggressive on inoculation to Alnus, Prunus and Salix. The extent of P.lacustris' activity as a saprotroph in plant debris in water and as an opportunistic pathogen in riparian habitats needs further investigation. Its pathogenic potential to cultivated fruit trees also deserves attention because P.lacustris has apparently been introduced into the nursery trade. ; German Research Foundation at the University of Konstanz, Germany [SFB 454]; OTKA [F038325, K61107, IN64168, IN71349]; MIUR (Ministry of University and Research); MIPAF (Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry); University of Catania, Italy; Scottish Government ; info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion