Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Identification and mating type determination of Phytophthora strains causing blight on two cucurbit crops in South China

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Tropical Plant Pathology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

To clarify mating types of the pathogen causing phytophthora blight on cucurbit crops, over 400 samples of affected wax gourd and cucumber plants were collected from nine cities in South China during 2007–2010. A total of 198 Phytophthora strains were isolated from the samples and identified as Phytophthora melonis based on their morphological characteristics and rDNA-ITS (internal transcribed spacer) sequences. Mating types of the strains were determined based on mating reactions between a field strain and each of the reference strains of mating types A1 and A2. Five mating types were found in the samples collected. The A0 mating type was predominant in Guilin city, representing 40.9 % of the strains obtained, while the A2 mating type was dominant in the sampling areas with a frequency of 37.5–66.7 %. The A0, A2 and A1A2 mating types were isolated from both hosts. The A1 and A1,A2 mating types were obtained only from the wax gourd and cucumber plants, respectively. The ratio of A1 and A2 mating types isolated from Guilin was close to 1:1, suggesting a possibility for sexual reproduction to occur in South China.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ann PJ, Ko WH (1989) Effect of chloroneb and ethazol on mating type of Phytophthora parasitica and P. cinnamomi. Bot Bull Acad Sin 30:207–210

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Brasier C (2007) Phytophthora biodiversity: how many phytophthora species are there? In: Goheen EM, Frankel SJ (eds) Phytophthoras in forests and natural ecosystems. USDA Forest Service, Albany, pp 101–116

    Google Scholar 

  • Drenth A, Guest DA (2004) Diversity and management of Phytophthora in Southeast Asia. Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, Canberra

    Google Scholar 

  • Fry WE, Goodwin SB, Dyer AT, Matuszak JM, Drenth A, Tooley PW, Sujkowski LS, Koh YJ, Cohen BA, Spielman LJ, Deahl KL, Inglis DA, Sandlan KP (1993) Historical and recent migrations of Phytophthora infestans: chronology, pathways, and implications. Plant Dis 77:653–661

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gallegly ME, Galindo J (1958) Mating types and oospores of Phytophthora infestans in nature in Mexico. Phytopathology 48:274–277

    Google Scholar 

  • Gallegly ME, Hong CX (2008) Phytophthora identifying species by morphology and DNA fingerprints. APS Press, St. Paul

    Google Scholar 

  • Ghimire SR, Hyde KD, Hodgkiss IJ, Liew ECY (2001) Phenotypes of Phytophthora infestans in Nepal: mating types and metalaxyl sensitivity. Potato Res 44:337–347

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gu YH, Ko WH (2005) Evidence for mitochondrial gene control of mating types in Phytophthora. Can J Microbiol 51:934–940

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Guharoy S, Bhattacharyya S, Mukherjee SK, Mandal N, Khatua DC (2006) Phytophthora melonis associated with fruit and vine rot disease of pointed gourd in India as revealed by RFLP and sequencing of ITS region. J Phytopathol 154:612–615

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ho HH (1990) Taiwan Phytophthora. Bot Bull Acad Sin 31:89–106

    Google Scholar 

  • Huang J, Qi P (1982) Studies on the Phytophthora species causing cucumber blight and its control in Guangzhou district (in Chinese). J South China Agric Coll 3:36–45

    Google Scholar 

  • Katsura K (1968) Phytophthora melonis n. sp of cucumber (in Japanese). Ann Phytopath Soc Jpn 34:167

    Google Scholar 

  • Knapova G, Schlenzig A, Gisi U (2002) Crosses between isolates of Phytophthora infestans from potato and tomato and characterization of F1 and F2 progeny for phenotypic and molecular markers. Plant Pathol 51:698–709

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ko WH (1979) Mating-type distribution of Phytophthora coloasiae on the island of Hawaii. Mycologia 71:434–437

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ko WH (1980) Sexuality, evolution and origin of Phytophthora. Plant Prot Bull 22:141–151

    Google Scholar 

  • Ko WH (2007) Hormonal regulation of sexual reproduction in Phytophthora. Bot Stud 48:365–375

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ko WH, Chang HS, Su HJ (1978) Isolates of Phytophthora cinnamomi from Taiwan as evidence for an Asian origin of the species. Trans Br Mycol Soc 71:496–499

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ko WH, Lee CJ, Su HJ (1986) Chemical regulation of mating type in Phytophthora parasitica. Mycologia 78:134–136

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lebreton L, Lucas J-M, Andrivon D (1999) Aggressiveness and competitive fitness of Phytophthora infestans isolates collected from potato and tomato in France. Phytopathology 89:679–686

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Legard DE, Lee TY, Fry WE (1995) Pathogenic specialization in Phytophthora infestans: aggressiveness on tomato. Phytopathology 85:1356–1361

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lin S-H, Huang S-L, Li Q-Q, Hu C-J, Fu G, Qin L-P, Ma Y-F, Xie L, Cen Z-L, Yan W-H (2011) Characterization of Exserohilum rostratum, a new causal agent of banana leaf spot disease in China. Australas Plant Pathol 40:246–259

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lu J, Gong L (1982) Studies on identification and biological characters of the causal organism of cucumber blight in Nanjing (in Chinese). J Nanjing Agric College 3:28–38

    Google Scholar 

  • Lu J, Zheng X (1988) Studies on mating type A1 of Phytophthora cinnamomi rands in China (in Chinese). Acta Phytopathol Sin 18:129–135

    Google Scholar 

  • Mayton H, Smart CD, Moravec BC, Mizubuti ESG, Muldoon AE, Fry WE (2000) Oospore survival and pathogenicity of single oospore recombinant progeny from a cross involving US-17 and US-8 genotypes of Phytophthora infestans. Plant Dis 84:1190–1196

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mirabolfathy M, Cooke DEL, Duncan JM, Williams NA, Ershad D, Alizadeh A (2001) Phytophthora pistaciae sp. nov. and P. melonis: the principal causes of pistachio gummosis in Iran. Mycol Res 105:1166–1175

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Niederhauser JS, Cobb WC (1959) The late blight of potatoes. Sci Am 200:100–112

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Saitou N, Nei M (1987) The Neighbor-Joining method: a new method for reconstructing phylogenetic trees. Mol Biol Evol 4:406–425

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Savenkova LV, Cherepennikova-Anikina MI (2002) Effect of metalaxyl and N-nitro-N-nitrosomethylurea on mating type of Phytophthora infestans. J Rus Phytopathol Soc 3:33–38

    Google Scholar 

  • Shattock RC (2002) Phytophthora infestans: populations, pathogenicity and phenylamides. Pest Manag Sci 58:955–950

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shrestha SK, Shrestha K, Kobayashi K, Kondo N, Nishimura R, Sato K, Ogoshi A (1998) First report of A1 and A2 mating types of Phytophthora infestans on potato and tomato in Nepal. Plant Dis 82:1064

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tamura K, Dudley J, Kumar S (2007) MEGA 4: Molecular Evolution Genetics Analysis (MEGA) software version 4.0. Mol Biol Evol 24:1596–1599

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Vegetables and Flowers Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (2001) China vegetable varieties directory (in Chinese). China Agricultural Science and Technology Press, Beijing, pp 1–259

  • Wang P, Lu JY (1988) Homothallic and heterothallic behavior of Phytophthora derchsleri Tucker (in Chinese). Acta Mycol Sin 7:102–111

    Google Scholar 

  • Wu Y, Lu S, Huang S, Fu G, Chen L, Xie D, Li Q, Cen Z (2011) Field resistance of Phytophthora melonis to metalaxyl in South China (in Chinese). Acta Microbiol Sin 51:1078–1086

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wu Y, Hu C, Huang S, Lu S, Che J, Fu G (2012) Virulence and host preference of Phytophthora melonis populations in South China (in Chinese). Acta Phytophyl Sin 39:103–108

    Google Scholar 

  • Wu Y, Jiang Y, Huang S, Che J, Fu G, Hu C, Li Y (2015) RAPD genetic diversity analysis of Phytophthora melonis from South China (in Chinese). Mycosystema 34:410–423

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yu YN, Zhuang WY (1982) Phytophthora sinensis, a new species causing blight of Cucumis sativus. Mycotaxon 16:181–188

    Google Scholar 

  • Zentmyer GA (1976) Distribution of the A1 mating type of Phytophthora cinnamomi. Phytopathology 66:701–703

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zentmyer GA (1977) Origin of Phytophthora cinnamomi: evidence that it is not an indigenous fungus in the Americas. Phytopathology 67:1373–1377

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang KM, Zheng FC, Li YD, Ann PJ, Ko WH (1994) Isolates of Phytophthora colocasiae from Hainan Island in China: evidence suggesting an Asian origin of this species. Mycologia 86:108–112

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zheng X (1997) Phytophthora and its research techniques (in Chinese). Chinese Agriculture Press, Beijing, pp 35–83

    Google Scholar 

  • Zheng X, Gong L, Liu X, Lu J (1994) On inheritance of mating type and pathogenicity of Phytophthora drechsleri in sexual progenies (in Chinese). J Nanjing Agric Univ 17:39–42

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors thank Prof. Zhou Erxun (South China Agricultural University) for kindly providing experimental conditions and technical assistance during sample collections in Guangdong province and Prof. Wang Yuanchao (Nanjing Agricultural University) for favorably supplying the reference strains of mating types A1 and A2. Thanks are due to all persons who provided assistance in the samplings of P. melonis strains. This work was financially supported by the research project from Guangxi Natural Science Fund (Grant No. 2012GXNSFBA053060).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Vegetable Research Institute, Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanning, 530007, China

    Yongguan Wu & Wenjia Li

  2. School of Agricultural Engineering, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang, 473061, Henan, China

    Siliang Huang

  3. Microbiology Research Institute, Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanning, 530007, China

    Gang Fu & Chunjin Hu

Authors
  1. Yongguan Wu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Siliang Huang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Wenjia Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Gang Fu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Chunjin Hu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Siliang Huang.

Additional information

Section Editor: Adalberto Café

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Wu, Y., Huang, S., Li, W. et al. Identification and mating type determination of Phytophthora strains causing blight on two cucurbit crops in South China. Trop. plant pathol. 41, 24–32 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40858-016-0066-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40858-016-0066-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation