Botryosphaeriaceae partially overlap on asymptomatic and symptomatic tissues of Anacardiaceae in agroecosystems and conservation areas in northern South Africa

Abstract

Members of the Botryosphaeriaceae are well-known endophytes and stress-related pathogens. We recently characterised the diversity of Botryosphaeriaceae in healthy tissues of three tree species in the Anacardiaceae, namely Sclerocarya birrea, Mangifera indica and Lannea schweinfurthii. Here we ask how that diversity compares with the Botryosphaeriaceae diversity associated with dieback on those tree species. Samples were collected from agroecosystems (Tshikundamalema and Tshipise in Limpopo) and conservation areas (Nwanedi and the Mapungubwe National Park in Limpopo and the Kruger National Park in Mpumalanga) ecosystems. Species were characterised using multigene sequence data and morphological data. Diplodia allocellula, Dothiorella brevicollis, Do. viticola, Lasiodiplodia crassispora, L. mahajangana and Neofusicoccum parvum occurred on both asymptomatic and symptomatic samples. Dothiorella dulcispinea, L. gonubiensis and L. exigua, as well as a previously unknown species described here as Oblongocollomyces ednahkunjekuae sp. nov, only occurred in asymptomatic branches. An interesting aspect of the biology of O. ednahkunjekuaeae is that it appears to be adapted to higher temperatures, with an optimum growth at 30 °C, and faster growth at 35 °C than at 25 °C. Lasiodiplodia pseudotheobromae only occurred in symptomatic branches. Neofusicoccum parvum was notably absent from conservation areas, and in agroecosystem it was most common on M. indica. Only L. crassispora and L. mahajangana overlapped on all three tree species and were the dominant species associated with dieback. These results show that not all Botryosphaeriaceae occurring asymptomatically in an area contribute equally to disease development on a related group of hosts, and that environmental disturbance plays a significant role in the distribution of N. parvum. Citation: Slippers B, Ramabulana E, Coetzee MPA (2024). Botryosphaeriaceae partially overlap on asymptomatic and symptomatic tissues of Anacardiaceae in agroecosystems and conservation areas in northern South Africa. Fungal Systematics and Evolution 13: 131-142. doi: 10.3114/fuse.2024.13.07.

Keywords: ecology endophyte latent pathogen new taxon systematics.

Fig. 1

Mangifera indica trees with severe dieback surrounded by healthy M. indica trees at Tshipise.

Fig. 2

Maximum likelihood phylogenetic tree of previously described Botryosphaeriaceae species and isolates from tree species of Anacardiaceae based on combined partial ITS, tef-1α, β-tub and rpb2 gene regions. Isolates from asymptomatic branches are indicated with (●) and those from symptomatic branches are indicated with (▲). Bootstrap support (> 60 %) and PP values (≥ 0.95) are shown on the nodes. The tree was rooted to Melanops tulasnei. Isolates with only strain numbers were isolated in this study.

Fig. 3

Venn diagram showing species of Botryosphaeriaceae occurring in both asymptomatic and symptomatic tree species of Anacardiaceae.

Fig. 4

Oblongocollomyces ednahkunjekuae. A. Top view of a colony on PDA at 25 °C after 5 d. B. Bottom view of a colony on PDA at 25 °C after 5 d. C. Top view of a colony on PDA at 35 °C after 4 d. D. Bottom view of a colony on PDA at 35 °C after 4 d. E. Sporulating culture on VMM after 21 d. F, G. Conidiogenous cells, developing conidia and paraphyses. H. Immature conidia. I. Mature conidia. J. Mature conidium, showing the thickened cell wall and septum. Scale bars = 10 μm.

Fig. 5

Botryosphaeriaceae species occurring in asymptomatic and symptomatic branches of Sclerocarya birrea, Lannea schweinfurthii and Mangifera indica. Isolates not sequenced were assigned to a specific species based on their grouping within the different morphogroups from which representative isolates were sequenced.