Poster Session: Systematics/Evolution/Ecology-Fungi

38-P

Molecular characterization of Colletotrichum species isolated from mango and tree tomato in Cundinamarca and Tolima, Colombia.
C. CALDERÓN (1), J. Tabima (1), S. Restrepo (1), P. Jiménez (2)
(1) Universidad de Los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia; (2) Universidad Militar Nueva Granada, Bogotá, Colombia

Colletotrichum gloeosporioides is the most common anthracnose causal agent in two different hosts (mango and tree tomato) while Colletotrichum acutatum attacks only tree tomato. However, Colletotrichum species are difficult to separate when morphological and molecular features are considered separately. Many studies have shown the importance of combining different genes in polyphasical approaches. Weevaluated 4 genic regions ITS, Beta-tubulin, GDPH (glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase) and AOX (alternative oxidase) in 88 strains collected from different hosts in order to characterize the anthracnose causal agents in Colombia. These results are consistent with morphological parameters evaluated for identification (see abstract by Calderon et al. in this issue). In this work we show that the combined loci clearly separate the different species of Colletotrichum. Moreover, Aox is a new genic region assayed in this fungus, and it proved to be an interesting alternative as a barcode as it clearly separated different species of Colletotrichum.