title: Botryosphaeriaceae species overlap on four unrelated, native South African hosts.
abstract: Botryosphaeriaceae represents an important and diverse family of latent fungal pathogens of woody plants. We address the question of host range of these fungi by sampling leaves and branches of four native South African trees, including Acacia karroo (Fabaceae), Celtis africana (Cannabaceae), Searsia lancea (Anacardiaceae), and Gymnosporia buxifolia (Celastraceae). Two new species of the Botryosphaeriaceae, namely Tiarosporella africana sp. nov. and Aplosporella javeedii sp. nov. were identified, together with five known species, including Neofusicoccum parvum, Neofusicoccum kwambonambiense, Spencermartinsia viticola, Diplodia pseudoseriata, and Botryosphaeria dothidea. Most Botryosphaeriaceae occurred on more than one host. With the exception of S. lancea, which was infected by A. javeedii all the hosts were infected by more than one Botryosphaeriaceae species. Collectively, the results suggest that some intrinsic host factors, possibly combined with local environmental conditions, affect the distribution and co-infectivity of various hosts by the Botryosphaeriaceae. This would counteract the general ability of a species in the Botryosphaeriaceae to infect a broad range of plants. The combination of host and environmental factors might also explain why some Botryosphaeriaceae with apparently broad host ranges, are found on different suites of hosts in different areas of the world.
authors: Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa. Electronic address: Fahimeh.jami@fabi.up.ac.za.
authors: Fahimeh
authors: F
authors: Jami
authors: Department of Genetics, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa.
authors: Bernard
authors: B
authors: Slippers
authors: Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa.
authors: Michael J
authors: MJ
authors: Wingfield
authors: Department of Plant Sciences, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa.
authors: Marieka
authors: M
authors: Gryzenhout
mesh_terms: D001203:Ascomycota / Q000145:classification* / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000502:physiology; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D058507:Host Specificity; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D020648:Peptide Elongation Factor 1 / Q000235:genetics; D010802:Phylogeny; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000382:microbiology; D010944:Plants / Q000382:microbiology*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013019:South Africa
chemical_list: D004271:DNA, Fungal; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer; D020648:Peptide Elongation Factor 1
keywords: Aplosporella; Botryosphaeriales; Host pattern; Taxonomy; Tiarosporella