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Genetics

A Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism Probe Relating Vegetative Compatibility Groups and Pathogenicity in Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. dianthi. B. Q. Manicom, Citrus and Subtropical Fruit Research Institute, Private Bag X11208, Nelspruit 1200, South Africa; M. Bar-Joseph(2), J. M. Kotze(3), and Merle M. Becker(4). (2)The S. Tolkowsky Laboratory, Department of Virology, ARO, The Volcani Centre, Box 6, Bet Dagan 50-250, Israel; (3)Professor, Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0001, South Africa; (4)Citrus and Subtropical Fruit Research Institute, Private Bag X11208, Nelspruit 1200, South Africa. Phytopathology 80:336-339. Accepted for publication 11 September 1989. Copyright 1990 The American Phytopathological Society. DOI: 10.1094/Phyto-80-336.

Forty-six isolates of Fusarium from diseased carnations were examined for DNA restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) and vegetative compatibility groups (VCGs). Both RFLPs and VCGs identified two major coincident groups. RFLPs identified three minor groups which were not assigned to VCGs. Testing of subsets of the groups showed the two major groups to be pathogenic. The two methodologies give equivalent results for the genetic separation of populations, and it is suggested that once the groundwork is laid for a host/pathogen complex, these methods can replace differential hosts for the determination of taxonomic units.