Bipolaris marantae sp. nov., A Novel Helminthosporoid Species Causing Foliage Blight of the Garden Plant Maranta leuconeura in Brazil.

ABSTRACT: A severe leaf spot, turning to foliage blight, was observed on leaves of Maranta leuconeura growing in a garden in Brazil (state of Rio de Janeiro) in 2015. A dematiaceous hyphomycete bearing a morphology typical of a helminthosporoid fungi was regularly found in association with diseased tissues. The fungus was isolated and pathogenicity was demonstrated through the completion of Koch's postulates. A morphology and molecular analysis led to the conclusion that the fungus belonged to the genus Bipolaris, which is characterized by having fusiform conidia, externally thickened and truncate hila and a bipolar pattern of germination. Additionally, homology of internal transcribed spacer and GAPDH sequences with sequences of other Bipolaris species, confirmed its generic placement. A phylogenet

SUBMITTER: Lourenco CCG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5673507 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature