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Title: FUSARIUM COMMUNE, A NEW SPECIES WITHIN THE GIBBERELLA CLADE IDENTIFIED BY MORPHOLOGICAL AND MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETIC DATA

Author
item SKOVGAARD, KERSTIN - UNIV OF COPENHAGEN
item ROSENDAHL, SOREN - UNIV OF COPENHAGEN
item O Donnell, Kerry
item NIRENBERG, HELGARD - BBA, BERLIN, GERMANY

Submitted to: Mycologia
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/1/2003
Publication Date: 8/1/2003
Citation: SKOVGAARD, K., ROSENDAHL, S., O DONNELL, K., NIRENBERG, H.I. FUSARIUM COMMUNE, A NEW SPECIES WITHIN THE GIBBERELLA CLADE IDENTIFIED BY MORPHOLOGICAL AND MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETIC DATA. MYCOLOGIA. 2003. V. 95 (4). P. 630-636.

Interpretive Summary: Species of the genus Fusarium comprise many toxin-producing and plant pathogenic species that are responsible for significant negative impact on human and animal health and food safety. The purpose of this study was to characterize a set of plant pathogenic strains that are morphologically similar to Fusarium oxysporum through the use of morphological and molecular data. Results of this study conclusively demonstrate that these strains represent a morphologically and genetically distinct species. The combined analysis has resulted in the development of diagnostic molecular tools that allow for the rapid identification of this pathogenic species. Studies are in progress to assess the mycotoxin potential of this new species, F. commune.

Technical Abstract: Fusarium commune sp. nov. was isolated from soil and Pisum sativum in Denmark and from diverse substrates including white pine, Douglas fir, carnation, corn, carrot, barley and soil at several additional geographically widespread locations within the northern hemisphere. F. commune is characterized by and distinguished from its putative sister taxon, the F. oxysporum complex, in having long, slender monophialides and polyphialides when cultured in complete darkness. Based on the combined DNA sequence data from translation elongation factor 1a (EF-1a) and the mitochondrial small subunit ribosomal DNA (mtSSU rDNA), the fifteen isolates of F. commune analysed formed a strongly supported clade closely related to but independent of the F. oxysporum and the Gibberella fujikuroi species complexes.