title: Phylogeny of ambrosia beetle symbionts in the genus Raffaelea.
abstract: The genus Raffaelea was established in 1965 when the type species, Raffaelea ambrosia, a symbiont of Platypus ambrosia beetles was described. Since then, many additional ambrosia beetle symbionts have been added to the genus, including the important tree pathogens Raffaelea quercivora, Raffaelea quercus-mongolicae, and Raffaelea lauricola, causal agents of Japanese and Korean oak wilt and laurel wilt, respectively. The discovery of new and the dispersal of described species of Raffaelea to new areas, where they can become invasive, presents challenges for diagnosticians as well as plant protection and quarantine efforts. In this paper, we present the first comprehensive multigene phylogenetic analysis of Raffaelea. As it is currently defined, the genus was found to not be monophyletic. On the basis of this work, Raffaelea sensu stricto is defined and the affinities of undescribed isolates are considered.
authors.affiliation: School of Forest Resources and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville 32611, USA.
authors.forename: Tyler J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Dreaden
authors.affiliation: School of Forest Resources and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville 32611, USA.
authors.forename: John M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa.
authors.forename: Z Wilhelm
authors.initials: ZW
authors.lastname: de Beer
authors.affiliation: Tropical Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Homestead 33031, USA.
authors.forename: Randy C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Ploetz
authors.affiliation: Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville 32611, USA.
authors.forename: Pamela S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Soltis
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa.
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Wingfield
authors.affiliation: School of Forest Resources and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville 32611, USA. Electronic address: jasons@ufl.edu.
authors.forename: Jason A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001517:Coleoptera / Q000382:microbiology*; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000235:genetics; D055155:Ophiostomatales / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010802:Phylogeny; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013559:Symbiosis
chemical_list: D004271:DNA, Fungal
keywords: ITS; Internal transcribed spacer region; Ophiostomatales; Raffaelea sensu stricto; Wilt pathogens