title: Development of Colletotrichum acutatum on tolerant and susceptible Olea europaea L. cultivars: a microscopic analysis.
abstract: Colletotrichum acutatum is a cosmopolitan and damaging plant pathogen of temperate, subtropical, and tropical fruits and causes anthracnose on olive (Olea europaea L.). Three olive cultivars showing a variable response to infection by C. acutatum were selected to a preliminary study of pathogen development. Fruit samples, from susceptible and tolerant cultivars, were taken at 0, 24, 48, 72, and 192 h after inoculation for a microscopic and histological study of the infection and colonization process. The aim of this study was to compare the infection process: conidial germination, germ tube and appressorium formation, hyphal growth, and mesocarp colonization in susceptible and tolerant olive cultivars as a condition for further exploration of disease development, which is required to develop cultivars with improved resistance to anthracnose. The rate of mesocarp colonization differed between the susceptible and tolerant cultivars, and both intracellular hemibiotrophy and subcuticular intramural necrotrophy were observed. Hemibiotrophic infection predominated in the moderately tolerant cultivar.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Centre of Genetics and Biotechnology, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (IBB/CGB-UTAD), Vila Real, Portugal. sgomes@utad.pt
authors.forename: Sónia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gomes
authors.forename: Pilar
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Prieto
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Martins-Lopes
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: Henrique
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Guedes-Pinto
mesh_terms: D020231:Colletotrichum / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development*; D005638:Fruit / Q000382:microbiology; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D008853:Microscopy; D031658:Olea / Q000382:microbiology*; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*