ARS | Publication request: PHYLOGENETIC ANALYSIS OF THE PUCCINIA CORONATA COMPLEX

Submitted to: American Phytopathological Society Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: May 18, 2006
Publication Date: July 29, 2006
Citation: Szabo, L.J., Anikster, Y., Eilam, T. 2006. Phylogenetic Analysis of the Puccinia coronata Complex [abstract]. American Phytopathological Society Abstracts. 96:5112.

Technical Abstract: Crown rust is an economically important disease of cereal and grasses and is widely distributed around the world. Puccinia coronata, the causal agent of crown rust, is a macrocyclic, heteroecious rust with a broad telial host range including more than 45 genera of grasses. P. coronata has been subdivided into formae specialis based on telia host range or into varieties base on morphological characters. Neither of these systems is completely satisfactory. Phylogenetic analysis of ITS DNA sequences of 40 P. coronata collections from telial and aceial hosts formed seven well-supported clades: Clade I included collections from Elytrigia repens, Hordeum vulgare and Rhamnus cathartica; Clade II included collections from Bromus erectus and R. saxatilis; Clade III included collections from B. inermis and R. cathartica; Clade IV included collections from Arrhenatherum elatius and Holcus lanatus; Clade V included collections from Alopecurus aequalis, Avena sativa, Festuca elatior, Lolium perenne and R. cathartica; Clade VI included collections of Hol. mollis; Clade VII included collections from Calamagrostis canadensis and R. alnifolia. Morphological and biological data indicates that these seven phylogenetic clades should be divided into five distinct species.