Cladosporium cladosporioides and Cladosporium pseudocladosporioides as potential new fungal antagonists of Puccinia horiana Henn., the causal agent of chrysanthemum white rust

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 12; no. 1; p. e0170782
• Main Authors: Torres, David Eduardo, Rojas-Martínez, Reyna Isabel, Zavaleta-Mejía, Emma, Guevara-Fefer, Patricia, Márquez-Guzmán, G Judith, Pérez-Martínez, Carolina
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 31.01.2017; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Actins - genetics; Antagonists (Biochemistry); Basidiomycota - cytology; Basidiomycota - drug effects; Basidiomycota - physiology; Bayes Theorem; Biological Assay; Biological control; Biology and Life Sciences; Carbon sources; Causes of; Cellulase - metabolism; Chitin; Chitinases - pharmacology; Chrysanthemum; Chrysanthemum - drug effects; Chrysanthemum - microbiology; Chrysanthemums; Cladosporium; Cladosporium - cytology; Cladosporium - isolation & purification; Cladosporium - physiology; Cladosporium - ultrastructure; Cladosporium cladosporioides; Cladosporium sphaerospermum; Cronartium; Cultivars; Culture Media - pharmacology; Cytoplasm; Deoxyribonucleic acid; DNA; DNA, Intergenic - genetics; Electron microscopy; Flowers; Flowers & plants; Fungi; Identification and classification; Laminarin; Microscopy; Morphology; Peptide Elongation Factor 1 - genetics; Pesticides; Phylogeny; Physical Sciences; Physiological aspects; Plant Diseases - microbiology; Plants (botany); Puccinia; Research and Analysis Methods; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Teliospores; White rust; Mexico
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0170782

Puccinia horiana Hennings, the causal agent of chrysanthemum white rust, is a worldwide quarantine organism and one of the most important fungal pathogens of Chrysanthemum × morifolium cultivars, which are used for cut flowers and as potted plants in commercial production regions of the world. It was previously reported to be controlled by Lecanicillium lecanii, Cladosporium sphaerospermum, C. uredinicola and Aphanocladium album, due to their antagonistic and hyperparasitic effects. We report novel antagonist species on Puccinia horiana. Fungi isolated from rust pustules in a commercial greenhouse from Villa Guerrero, México, were identified as Cladosporium cladosporioides and Cladosporium pseudocladosporioides based upon molecular analysis and morphological characters. The antagonism of C. cladosporioides and C. pseudocladosporioides on chrysanthemum white rust was studied using light and electron microscopy in vitro at the host/parasite interface. Cladosporium cladosporioides and C. pseudocladosporioides grew towards the white rust teliospores and colonized the sporogenous cells, but no direct penetration of teliospores was observed; however, the structure and cytoplasm of teliospores were altered. The two Cladosporium spp. were able to grow on media containing laminarin, but not when chitin was used as the sole carbon source; these results suggest that they are able to produce glucanases. Results from the study indicate that both Cladosporium species had potential as biological control agents of chrysanthemum white rust.