Classification of trypanosomatids from fruits and seeds using morphological, biochemical and molecular markers revealed several genera among fruit isolates

Trypanosomatids are widespread in several plant families and although most isolates have been classified as Phytomonas, other trypanosomatid genera ca n also infect plants. In order to assess the natural occurrence of non-Phyt omonas trypanosomatids in plants wt: characterized 21 new trypanosomatid cu ltures, 18 from fruits and three from seeds of 17 plant species. The trypan osomatids from fruit and seeds were compared in terms of morphological. gro wth, biochemical and molecular features. The high diversity among the isola tes permitted the classification of the new flagellates into the genera Cri thidia and Leptotmonas as well as Phytomonos. The data showed that natural Fruit infection with non-Phytomonas trypanosomatids is more common than usu ally thought, bring detected in 43% of the fruit isolates. (C) 2001 Federat ion of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Elsevier Science B. V. All rights reserved.