title: Aurapex penicillata gen. sp. nov. from native Miconia theaezans and Tibouchina spp. in Colombia.
abstract: Conidiomata of a fungus resembling Chrysoporthe cubensis, a serious canker pathogen of Eucalyptus spp. (Myrtaceae, Myrtales) in tropical and subtropical parts of the world, was found on Eucalyptus grandis in Colombia. Fruiting structures of the fungus could be distinguished from those of C. cubensis by their distinctly orange conidiomatal necks. This fungus also was found on several plant species native to Colombia including Tibouchina urvilleana, T. lepidota and Miconia theaezans (Melastomataceae, Myrtales). Morphological comparisons, as well as those based on sequences of the ITS1/ITS2 region of the ribosomal DNA repeat and the beta-tubulin gene, were used to characterize this fungus. Its pathogenicity was assessed on various plants from which it has been collected, either in field or greenhouse trials. Phylogenetic analyses showed that isolates reside in a clade distinct from the four clades accommodating Chrysoporthe, Cryphonectria, Endothia and Rostraureum. Members of this clade are distinguished by the presence of orange conidiomatal necks with black bases and a unique internal stromatal structure. No teleomorph has been found for this fungus, for which we have provided the name Aurapex penicillata gen. sp. nov. A. penicillata produced only small lesions after inoculation on young T. urvilleana, M. theaezans and E. grandis trees and appears not to be a serious pathogen.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, Forestry & Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, University of Pretoria, South Africa. Marieka.Gryzenhout@fabi.up.ac.za
authors.forename: Marieka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gryzenhout
authors.forename: Henrietta
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Myburg
authors.forename: Carlos A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Rodas
authors.forename: Brenda D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Wingfield
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Wingfield
mesh_terms: D001203:Ascomycota / Q000145:classification* / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D003105:Colombia; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D005052:Eucalyptus / Q000382:microbiology; D019684:Magnoliopsida / Q000382:microbiology*; D035322:Melastomataceae / Q000382:microbiology*; D008853:Microscopy; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010781:Photography; D010784:Photomicrography; D010802:Phylogeny; D010858:Pigmentation; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000382:microbiology; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017385:Sequence Homology; D014404:Tubulin / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D004271:DNA, Fungal; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer; D014404:Tubulin