First report of Neoscytalidium dimidiatum as the causal agent of leaf blight on Clivia miniata

Abstract In this survey, the symptomatic leaves of Clivia miniata were collected from a greenhouse in Karaj city of Iran. The isolation and morphological investigation showed Scytalidium-like fungus associated with leaf blight symptom. The phylogenetic analysis of the internal transcribed spacer along with partial sequences of rDNA large subunit and translation elongation factor 1-α (tef-1α) genomic regions confirmed the identification of the recovered isolate as Neoscytalidium dimidiatum. The pycnidial morph of the fungus didn’t observe both in vitro and in vivo. The pathogenicity test on C. miniata and C. nobilis was also conducted to fulfill the Koch’s postulates. To our Knowledges, this is the first report of N. dimidiatum causing leaf blight disease on C. miniata and C. nobilis worldwide, as well as these host plants are new for N. dimidiatum in the world

Endophytic colonization of tomato by Beauveria bassiana for control of the greenhouse whitefly, Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae)

We evaluated the efficacy of four different methods for endophytic inoculation of entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana in tomato plants. Fourteen days after inoculation, root dipping and leaf spraying allowed recovery of B. bassiana from leaves, while the fungus was recovered from roots in all inoculation methods, except soil drenching. Significant increases in mortalities of nymphs and adults of the greenhouse whitefly, 36 to 52%, were recorded on B. bassiana-endophyt plants. The total phenolic and protein contents of tomato plants were increased by endophyte colonization. Results of this study confirm the efficiency of foliar spraying of B. bassiana for colonization in tomato plants and its insecticidal activity against whitefly. The persistence of B. bassiana as endophyte was confirmed up to 56 days after inoculation. Given the insecticidal activity and beneficial effects of the endophyte on plant growth, B. bassiana could be considered as a suitable element in integrated pest management.Oceniliśmy skuteczność czterech różnych metod endofitycznej inokulacji entomopatogennego grzyba Beauveria bassiana do pomidorów. 14 dni po zaszczepieniu stwierdzono obecność B. bassiana w liściach w przypadku inokulacji poprzez zanurzanie korzeni i oprysk liści, natomiast obecność grzyba w korzeniach stwierdzono przy wszystkich metodach inokulacji, z wyjątkiem zwilżania gleby. Na pomidorach zainfekowanych B. bassiana odnotowano znaczny wzrost śmiertelności nimf i osobników dorosłych mączlika szklarniowego, wynoszący od 36 do 52%. Całkowita zawartość fenoli i białka w tkankach pomidora wzrosła w wyniku kolonizacji endofitów. Wyniki badań potwierdzają skuteczność oprysku dolistnego B. bassiana w kolonizacji pomidora i jego owadobójcze działanie na mączlika szklarniowego. Trwałość B. bassiana jako endofitu została potwierdzona do 56 dni po inokulacji. Biorąc pod uwagę aktywność owadobójczą i korzystny wpływ endofitu na wzrost roślin, B. bassiana można uznać za odpowiedni element zintegrowanej ochrony roślin przed szkodnikami

Phylogeny of Paecilomyces, the causal agent of pistachio and some other trees dieback disease in Iran

One of the most important fungal agents of pistachio dieback disease belongs to the ascomycete genus Paecilomyces that has been identified as P. variotii. In 2012–2014, 700 plant samples from pistachio trees and 27 other plant species with dieback symptoms were collected from 10 provinces of Iran. Of the 567 pistachio samples, 277 Paecilomyces strains were obtained and from the 133 samples of other plants (except pistachio and including Pistacia mutica, Punica granatum, Prunus amygdalus, Caesalpinia gilliesii, Nerium oleander, Tamarix aphylla, Tamarix hispida and Haloxylon sp.), 23 fungal isolates were recovered and five isolates were obtained from the air of infected pistachio orchards. Based on morphology, all 305 isolates were identified as P. variotii. Physiological studies revealed that 299 isolates belong to P. formosus. Three isolates were assigned to P. variotii, while three isolates could not be assigned to any of the known species. Of the 305 isolates, 62 were selected for phylogenetic analysis based on DNA variation (ITS, β-tubulin and calmodulin). This analysis showed that all of our isolates form a clade with P. formosus. P. formosus consists of the three former species P. formosa, P. lecythidis and P. maximus. This study shows that our isolates form a strongly supported clade with strains of P. lecythidis. So, the causal agent of dieback disease of pistachio and other examined trees is P. formosus which is closely related to the former species P. lecythidis and has some differences with the former species P. formosa and P. maximus. Based on phylogenetic studies P. formosus thus seems to be a species complex that could be divided into three separate species.</p

Molecular Characterization of a Novel Putative Partitivirus Infecting Cytospora sacchari, a Plant Pathogenic Fungus

Three double-stranded RNAs (dsRNAs), approximately 1.85, 1.65 and 1.27 kb in size, were detected in an isolate of Cytospora sacchari from Iran. Partial nucleotide sequence revealed a 1,284 bp segment containing one ORF that potentially encodes a 405 aa protein. This protein contains conserved motifs related to RNA dependent RNA polymerases (RdRp) that showed similarity to RdRps of partitiviruses. The results indicate that these dsRNAs represent a novel Partitivirus that we tentatively designate Cytospora sacchari partitivirus (CsPV). Treatment of the fungal strain by cyclohexamide and also hyphal tip culture had no effect on removing the putative virus. Phylogenetic analysis of putative RdRp of CsPV and other partitiviruses places CsPV as a member of the genus Partitivirus in the family Partitiviridae, and clustering with Aspergillus ochraceous virus 1

Correction: Population Genetic Structure of Apple Scab (Venturia inaequalis (Cooke) G. Winter) in Iran.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0160737.]

Molecular Characterization of a Novel Putative Partitivirus Infecting Cytospora sacchari, a Plant Pathogenic Fungus

Three double-stranded RNAs (dsRNAs), approximately 1.85, 1.65 and 1.27 kb in size, were detected in an isolate of Cytospora sacchari from Iran. Partial nucleotide sequence revealed a 1,284 bp segment containing one ORF that potentially encodes a 405 aa protein. This protein contains conserved motifs related to RNA dependent RNA polymerases (RdRp) that showed similarity to RdRps of partitiviruses. The results indicate that these dsRNAs represent a novel Partitivirus that we tentatively designate Cytospora sacchari partitivirus (CsPV). Treatment of the fungal strain by cyclohexamide and also hyphal tip culture had no effect on removing the putative virus. Phylogenetic analysis of putative RdRp of CsPV and other partitiviruses places CsPV as a member of the genus Partitivirus in the family Partitiviridae, and clustering with Aspergillus ochraceous virus 1

Source of used isolates in phylogeny.

<p>Source of used isolates in phylogeny.</p

Most parsimonous tree based on combined data set of <i>ITS</i>, <i>β-tubulin</i> and <i>calmodulin</i> sequences.

<p>sequences are from 18 selected isolates and close taxa using MEGA 7 software, showing the relationship among our isolates and <i>Paecilomyces formosus</i> isolates, especialy to <i>P</i>. <i>lecythidis</i>. The percentages above and below the branches are the frequencies of a given branch appeared in 1000 bootstrap replications. Bootstrap values less than 50% are not displayed. <i>Thermoascus crustaceus</i> has been used as outgroup.</p

Most parsimonous tree based on combined data set of <i>ITS</i>, <i>β-tubulin</i> and <i>calmodulin</i> sequences.

<p>sequences are from 62 selected isolates and close taxa using MEGA 7 software, showing low variation among our isolates. Isolates from <i>Pistacia vera</i>, Isolates from <i>Pistacia mutica</i>, Isolates from <i>Punica granatum</i>, Isolates from <i>Tamarix hispida</i>, Isolates from <i>Tamarix aphylla</i>, Isolates from <i>Prunus amygdalus</i>, Isolates from <i>Haloxylon</i> sp., Isolates from <i>Nerium oleander</i>, Isolates from <i>Caesalpinia gilliesii</i> and Isolates from the air of pistachio orchards. The percentages above and below the branches are the frequencies of a given branch appeared in 1000 bootstrap replications. Bootstrap values less than 50% are not displayed. <i>Paecilomyces formosus</i> CBS990.73B has been used as outgroup.</p