title: A phylogenetic analysis of Mycosphaerellaceae leaf spot pathogens of Proteaceae.
abstract: Many plant pathogenic foliicolous fungi recorded on Proteaceae hosts in South Africa are reminiscent of members of the Mycosphaerellaceae and their anamorphs. However, these fungi are often unusual and specific to the Proteaceae, and have proved difficult to classify in the past. To address this issue, a phylogenetic analysis of the ITS-1, 5.8S and ITS-2 DNA sequence data was performed to determine relationships between members of the Mycosphaerellaceae and some taxa apparently unique to the Proteaceae. Results from this study have confirmed Batcheloromyces to be affiliated to the Mycosphaerellaceae. Within Mycosphaerella, Batcheloromyces was also shown to be distinct from Stigmina, which clustered separately from Pseudocercospora. The separation between Mycosphaerella and Teratosphaeria (anamorph Trimmatostroma) was shown to be artificial, which was further supported by several Trimmatostroma species clustering within Mycosphaerella. From these data it is concluded that Teratosphaeria should be reduced to synonymy under Mycosphaerella, and that Trimmatostroma represents yet another additional anamorph of Mycosphaerella.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Botswana, Private Bag UB0022, Gaborone, Botswana. taylor@mopipi.ub.bw
authors.forename: Joanne E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: J Z
authors.initials: JZ
authors.lastname: Groenewald
authors.forename: Pedro W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Crous
mesh_terms: D001203:Ascomycota / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000032:analysis; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer / Q000032:analysis; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000382:microbiology*; D039105:Proteaceae / Q000382:microbiology*; D012340:RNA, Ribosomal, 5.8S / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D004271:DNA, Fungal; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer; D012340:RNA, Ribosomal, 5.8S