title: Molecular variability and genetic relationship among Brazilian strains of the sugarcane smut fungus.
abstract: Sporisorium scitamineum is the fungus that causes sugarcane smut disease. Despite of the importance of sugarcane for Brazilian agribusiness and the persistence of the pathogen in most cropping areas, genetic variation studies are still missing for Brazilian isolates. In this study, sets of isolates were analyzed using two molecular markers (AFLP and telRFLP) and ITS sequencing. Twenty-two whips were collected from symptomatic plants in cultivated sugarcane fields of Brazil. A total of 41 haploid strains of compatible mating types were selected from individual teliospores and used for molecular genetic analyses. telRFLP and ITS analyses were expanded to six Argentine isolates, where the sugarcane smut was first recorded in America. Genetic relationship among strains suggests the human-mediated dispersal of S. scitamineum within the Brazilian territory and between the two neighboring countries. Two genetically distinct groups were defined by the combined analysis of AFLP and telRFLP. The opposite mating-type strains derived from single teliospores were clustered together into these main groups, but had not always identical haplotypes. telRFLP markers analyzed over two generations of selfing and controlled outcrossing confirmed the potential for emergence of new variants and occurrence of recombination, which are relevant events for evolution of virulence and environmental adaptation.
authors.affiliation: Escola Superior de Agricultura 'Luiz de Queiroz', Universidade de São Paulo, Piracicaba, São Paulo, 13418-900, Brazil.
authors.forename: Juliana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Benevenuto
authors.affiliation: Escola Superior de Agricultura 'Luiz de Queiroz', Universidade de São Paulo, Piracicaba, São Paulo, 13418-900, Brazil.
authors.forename: Daniel P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Longatto
authors.affiliation: Escola Superior de Agricultura 'Luiz de Queiroz', Universidade de São Paulo, Piracicaba, São Paulo, 13418-900, Brazil.
authors.forename: Gislaine V
authors.initials: GV
authors.lastname: Reis
authors.affiliation: Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas-CONICET, Buenos Aires, C1033AAJ, Argentina.
authors.forename: Natalia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mielnichuk
authors.affiliation: Escola Superior de Agricultura 'Luiz de Queiroz', Universidade de São Paulo, Piracicaba, São Paulo, 13418-900, Brazil.
authors.forename: Alessandra C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Palhares
authors.affiliation: Escola Superior de Agricultura 'Luiz de Queiroz', Universidade de São Paulo, Piracicaba, São Paulo, 13418-900, Brazil.
authors.forename: Giselle
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.affiliation: Escola Superior de Agricultura 'Luiz de Queiroz', Universidade de São Paulo, Piracicaba, São Paulo, 13418-900, Brazil.
authors.forename: Suzane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.affiliation: Escola Superior de Agricultura 'Luiz de Queiroz', Universidade de São Paulo, Piracicaba, São Paulo, 13418-900, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Quecine
authors.affiliation: Centro Avançado de Pesquisa Tecnológica do Agronegócio de Cana-IAC/Apta, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, 14001-970, Brazil.
authors.forename: Alvaro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sanguino
authors.affiliation: Escola Superior de Agricultura 'Luiz de Queiroz', Universidade de São Paulo, Piracicaba, São Paulo, 13418-900, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria Lucia C
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Vieira
authors.affiliation: Escola Superior de Agricultura 'Luiz de Queiroz', Universidade de São Paulo, Piracicaba, São Paulo, 13418-900, Brazil.
authors.forename: Luis Eduardo A
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Camargo
authors.affiliation: Centro Avançado de Pesquisa Tecnológica do Agronegócio de Cana-IAC/Apta, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, 14001-970, Brazil.
authors.forename: Silvana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Creste
authors.affiliation: Escola Superior de Agricultura 'Luiz de Queiroz', Universidade de São Paulo, Piracicaba, São Paulo, 13418-900, Brazil cbmontei@usp.br.
authors.forename: Claudia B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Monteiro-Vitorello
mesh_terms: D054458:Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism Analysis; D001938:Brazil; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D049770:Genes, Mating Type, Fungal; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005838:Genotype; D058889:Molecular Typing; D016533:Mycological Typing Techniques; D010802:Phylogeny; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D031786:Saccharum / Q000382:microbiology*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D014587:Ustilaginales / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D004271:DNA, Fungal; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer
keywords: Argentina; Brazil; mating-type; molecular markers; telomere, Sporisorium scitamineum