Diversidade de espécies de Colletotrichum causadoras de antracnose em chuchuzeiro

Abstract

Anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum species is the most important disease of chayote in Brazil. In this study, Colletotrichum species associated with anthracnose on fruits and leaves of chayote, from various producing regions in Brazil, were collected and characterized by molecular, morphology and cultural methods. Neighbor-Joining analysis based on sequences of the β-tubulin genomic region (TUB2) of 75 Colletotrichum isolates were analyzed as a first measure of genetic diversity. A subset of 32 isolates were sequenced using the partial sequences of actin (ACT), glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), calmodulin (CAL) genes and rDNA ITS (ITS) region. Maximum Likelihood (ML) was performed using the concatenated sequences. The multilocus sequence analysis, associated with phenotypic characteristics revealed four previously described species (Colletotrichum brevisporum, C. cliviae, C. fructicola and C. karstii) and two unidentified species, in eight morphotypes. All isolates selected to represent each haplotype, in pathogenicity test were able to induce typical symptoms of anthracnose in chayote but varied in their virulence . All these species are reported for the first time associated with chayote Brazil and worldwide. C. orbiculare is not the causal agent of anthracnose chayote in Brazil.