T. Hsiang et Ph. Goodwin, Ribosomal DNA sequence comparisons of Colletotrichum graminicola from turfgrasses and other hosts, EUR J PL P, 107(6), 2001, pp. 593-599
The 5.8S ribosomal gene and the flanking internal transcribed spacers (ITS)
1 and 2 from Colletotrichum graminicola isolates causing anthracnose disea
se of Agrostis palustris and Poa species were sequenced. Although bootstrap
support was not high, two major groups were observed with both UPGMA and p
arsimony algorithms, one containing isolates from A. palustris and another
with isolates from Poa spp. The ITS sequences were also compared with those
of isolates of C. graminicola and C. sublineolum from Sorghum spp., Zea ma
ys and Rottboellia cochinchinesis as well as other Colletotrichum species.
Except for one isolate from P. annua in Texas, the ITS1 and ITS2 sequences
of turfgrass isolates always grouped separately from C. graminicola or C. s
ublineolum from non-turfgrass hosts with high bootstrap support. ITS sequen
ces of the turfgrass isolates were more similar to those of other species o
f Colletotrichum, such as C. coccodes and C. dematium, than they were to C.
graminicola isolates from other hosts. Turfgrass isolates have ITS sequenc
es which are not identical to those of isolates from Zea mays and Sorghum s
pecies demonstrating diversity among fungi conventionally classified as C.
graminicola.