Junji Nishikawa

Species concepts in Cercospora: spotting the weeds among the roses.

The genus Cercospora contains numerous important plant pathogenic fungi from a diverse range of hosts. Most species of Cercospora are known only from their morphological characters in vivo. Although the genus contains more than 5 000 names, very few cultures and associated DNA sequence data are available. In this study, 360 Cercospora isolates, obtained from 161 host species, 49 host families and 39 countries, were used to compile a molecular phylogeny. Partial sequences were derived from the internal transcribed spacer regions and intervening 5.8S nrRNA, actin, calmodulin, histone H3 and translation elongation factor 1-alpha genes. The resulting phylogenetic clades were evaluated for application of existing species names and five novel species are introduced. Eleven species are epi-, lecto- or neotypified in this study. Although existing species names were available for several clades, it was not always possible to apply North American or European names to African or Asian strains and vice versa. Some species were found to be limited to a specific host genus, whereas others were isolated from a wide host range. No single locus was found to be the ideal DNA barcode gene for the genus, and species identification needs to be based on a combination of gene loci and morphological characters. Additional primers were developed to supplement those previously published for amplification of the loci used in this study. Taxonomic novelties: New species - Cercospora coniogrammes Crous & R.G. Shivas, Cercospora delaireae C. Nakash., Crous, U. Braun & H.D. Shin, Cercospora euphorbiae-sieboldianae C. Nakash., Crous, U. Braun & H.D. Shin, Cercospora pileicola C. Nakash., Crous, U. Braun & H.D. Shin, Cercospora vignigena C. Nakash., Crous, U. Braun & H.D. Shin. Typifications: epitypifications - Cercospora alchemillicola U. Braun & C.F. Hill, Cercospora althaeina Sacc., Cercospora armoraciae Sacc., Cercospora corchori Sawada, Cercospora mercurialis Pass., Cercospora olivascens Sacc., Cercospora violae Sacc.; neotypifications - Cercospora fagopyri N. Nakata & S. Takim., Cercospora sojina Hara.

Seedborne fungi detected on stored solanaceous berry seeds and their biological activities

We isolated 629 fungi from 1296 berry seeds of solanaceous plants, including tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum), eggplant (Solanum melongena), bell pepper (Capsicum annuum), and red pepper (Capsicum annuum var. annuum) preserved for long and short terms. The isolates were classified into 22 genera excluding unidentified fungi, and the fungal floras were divided into two types: the tomato–eggplant and pepper groups. The results of cluster analysis with unweighted pair-group method with arithmetic average also supported these groups. Most tomato seeds infested with Geotrichum candidum germinated and grew the same as uninfested seeds. Cladosporium sphaerospermum and Arthrinium sp. isolated from eggplant seeds strongly suppressed germination, and Penicillium variabile suppressed seminal root elongation on eggplant. Alternaria alternata, Botrytis cinerea, and Myrothecium verrucaria detected from red pepper or bell pepper seeds were pathogenic to the fruits and the seedlings after artificial inoculation.

Anthracnose of snapdragon caused by Colletotrichum destructivum

Severe spotting and blight of leaves caused by Colletotrichum destructivum were found on snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus L.), a scrophulariaceous ornamental, in open fields in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, from June through September 2004. The fungus is added to the group of the pathogens causing anthracnose of snapdragon.

Black spot disease of alstroemeria caused by Alternaria alstroemeriae in Japan

A black spot disease on cultivated alstroemeria was found in Nagano Prefecture, Japan, in January 2008. The causal fungus isolated from the diseased plants was morphologically identified as Alternaria alstroemeriae E.G. Simmons & C.F. Hill. An inoculation test with the isolated fungus demonstrated that the disease is caused by this species. This is the first report of black spot on alstroemeria (kokuhan-byo, in Japanese) caused by A. alstroemeriae in Japan.

Anthracnose of Madagascar periwinkle caused by species belonging to the Colletotrichum gloeosporioides species complex

Severe blight of stems was found on Madagascar periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus) in Shizuoka and Okinawa prefectures, Japan, in July 2003 and September 2004, respectively. Similar fungi were isolated from the diseased plants. The isolated fungi caused the disease after inoculation and subsequently were reisolated from diseased tissues. The fungi were identified as species closely related to C. siamense or C. tropicale according to sequences of the β-tubulin-2 gene, indicating that they belong to the Colletotrichum gloeosporioides species complex. This is the first report specifying the genetic relationships of the pathogens of Madagascar periwinkle anthracnose in the complex.

Circular Leaf Spot of Sweet Basil Caused by Cercospora guatemalensis New to Japan

A leaf spot disease on sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) was observed in Chiba Prefecture in 1997. The lesions were amphigenous, circular to irregular, hygrophanous, dark brown. Stromata were amphigenous, composed of a few brown cells. Conidia with a thickened truncate base, filiform to cylindrical, hyaline, were produced from conidiophores with thickened conidial scars. These morphological characteristics agreed with those of Cercospora guatemalensis Mueller et Chupp. This species was new to Japan. The symptoms appeared 10 days after inoculation and the inoculated fungus was re-isolated. Artificial sporulation and detection from commercial seeds were not successful.

Brown leaf spot on Lantana spp. caused by Pseudocercospora guianensis

Brown leaf spot of Lantana camara L. and L. montevidensis Briq. caused by Pseudocercospora guianensis (Stevens et Solheim) Deighton was found in Shizuoka, Chiba, Kagoshima and Okinawa Prefectures. Pathogenicity of isolates from the leaf spots was examined, and a taxonomic study as well as identification of the causal fungus was carried out. Similar leaf spots appeared on 7 to 25 days after inoculation with the isolates on Lantana spp., and the same fungus was re-isolated from the inoculated leaves. Two hitherto known Pseudocercospora species on Lantana, P. guianensis and P. formosana, were considered to be variations within one species, and we identified the causal fungus as P. guianensis due to priority.