title: Identification of a NovelAlternaria alternataStrain Able to HyperparasitizePuccinia striiformisf. sp.tritici, the Causal Agent of Wheat Stripe Rust.
abstract: The obligate bitrophic fungusPuccinia striiformisf. sp.tritici(Pst) causes stripe (yellow) rust on wheat worldwide. Here, we report a novel fungal strain able to hyperparasitizePst. The strain was isolated from gray-colored rust pustules, and was identified asAlternaria alternata(Fr.: Fr.) keissler based on a combination of morphological characteristics and multi-locus (ITS, GAPDH, and RPB2) phylogeny. Upon artificial inoculation, the hyperparasite reduced the production and viability of urediniospores, and produced a typical gray-colored rust pustule symptom. Scanning electron microscopy demonstrated that the strain could efficiently penetrate and colonizePsturediniospores. This study first demonstrates thatA. alternatacould parasitizePstand indicates its potential application in the biological control of wheat stripe rust disease.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas and College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University Yangling, China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas and College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University Yangling, China.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas and College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University Yangling, China.
authors.forename: Xiaofei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas and College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University Yangling, China.
authors.forename: Gangming
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhan
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas and College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University Yangling, China.
authors.forename: Shuchang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas and College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University Yangling, China.
authors.forename: Zhensheng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Kang
keywords: Alternaria alternata; Puccinia striiformis; biological control; hyperparasite; wheat stripe rust