Virulence of a soil inhabiting fungus, Ophiosphaerella korrae, to rice

<p>A soil inhabiting fungus, <em>Ophiosphaerella korrae</em> (J. Walker & A.M. Sm. bis) Shoemaker & C.E. Babc. has been confirmed to be pathogenic to barley, durum wheat and bread wheat of the major crops (Hong et al., 2018; Tomioka et al., 2019ab). Foliage and spikes of the affected plants early blight with root rot and ripening disorder. In this study, we revealed virulence of the fungus to rice, which is also one of the major crops. When a rice cultivar (cv. Norin No. 22) was grown in pots in artificial climate chambers after being sowed with culture discs (6 mm in diameter) of the fungus (strains MAFF150117 and MAFF150118 from bread wheat and durum wheat, respectively) on synthetic nutrient agar (SNA) (1 disc per seed), growth delay and early foliage blight (including ripening disorder) with rotting of roots and stem bases occurred. Defect rates were 22% and 84% for the plants inoculated with strains MAFF150117 and MAFF150118, respectively. Control plants simultaneously treated with aseptic SNA discs had no symptom. The fungal strains were consistently isolated from all the inoculated plants, but not from healthy controls, demonstrating that the fungal strains were virulent to rice. Additionally, a decrease tendency of grain yield without symptom on foliage and roots was detected on a rice cultivar (cv. Koshihikari that is cv. Norin No. 1 × cv. Norin No. 22) inoculated with strain MAFF150117 in another pot experiment. <em>Ophiosphaerella korrae</em> is also known as a pathogen causing spring dead spot or necrotic ring spot of Bermudagrass (Wetzel et al., 1999ab; Camara et al., 2000; Iriarte et al., 2004; Gullino et al., 2007; Perry et al., 2010; Sasaki et al., 2010), Kentucky bluegrass (Wetzel et al., 1999a; Camara et al., 2000, 2001; Hayakawa et al., 2004; Wong et al., 2015), Louisiana grass (Wetzel et al., 1999a; Camara et al., 2000) and Zoysiagrass (Hayakawa et al., 2004; Tredway and Butler, 2007). We will investigate varietal difference against <em>O. korrae</em> as well as the fungal emergent ecology in the future.</p><p>[References] Camara et al. (2000) Mycologia 92:317-325 Camara et al. (2001) Mycol Res 105:41-56 Gullino et al. (2007) Pl Dis 91:1200 Hayakawa et al. (2004) J Jpn Soc Turf Sci 33 (Supplement 1):24-25 Hong et al. (2018) Pl Dis 103(1):158 Iriarte et al. (2004) Pl Dis 88:1341-1346 Perry et al. (2010) Mycopathologia 169:395-402 Sasaki et al. (2010) Jpn J Phytopathol 76(3):158 Tomioka et al. (2019a) Abstracts of papers presented at the 44th annual meeting of the pesticide science society of Japan, p 82 Tomioka et al. (2019b) Abstracts of papers presented at the 63th annual meeting of the mycological society of Japan, p 64 Tredway and Butler (2007) Pl Dis 91:1684 Wetzel et al. (1999a) Mycol Res 103:981-989 Wetzel et al. (1999b) Pl Dis 83:1160-1166 Wong et al. (2015) Pl Pathol 44:545-555</p><p> </p>

Secondary metabolites from the endolichenic fungus Ophiosphaerella korrae

Six new metabolites were isolated from the endolichenic fungus Ophiosphaerella korrae. Ophiokorrin inhibited root elongation in the germination of Arabidopsis thaliana.

Infection and Colonization of Several Bermudagrasses by Ophiosphaerella korrae

Bermudagrass (Cynodon spp.) is the most commonly used turfgrass in the southern United States where it is severely affected by spring dead spot (SDS) caused by Ophiosphaerella herpotricha, O. korrae, and O. narmari. In this study, infection of bermudagrass roots and stolons by O. korrae was characterized using a transformant that expressed the red fluorescent protein tdTomato. Roots of interspecific hybrid cultivars Midlawn and Tifway 419, C. transvaalensis accessions Uganda and 3200, and C. dactylon cultivar U3 were inoculated and observed from 2 to 14 days postinoculation (DPI) while stolons were observed from 2 to 22 DPI. For all five cultivars tested, a similar level of root colonization was observed; however, differences were observed in the rate of necrosis development. Necrosis of Tifway 419 and Midlawn tissues was evident at 2 DPI, in Uganda and 3200 at 8 DPI, and in U3 necrosis was often absent as late as 14 DPI. The fungus rapidly penetrated the root epidermis and colonized the cortex of all cultivars by 4 DPI. Colonization of stele tissues by O. korrae was rare in hybrid cultivars but common in C. transvaalensis and C. dactylon accessions. On intact stolons, the fungus did not penetrate the epidermis 22 DPI though epidermal necrosis was evident on the surface of only the hybrid bermudagrasses. Wounded stolons became necrotic in all cultivars. Infection and colonization of various bermudagrasses by O. korrae was found to be similar to that by O. herpotricha, suggesting that host genetic resistance may be used for effective management of SDS caused by both species.

First Report of Spring Dead Spot of Zoysiagrass Caused by Ophiosphaerella korrae in the United States

Since 2002, symptoms of an unknown disease have been observed in ‘El Toro’ zoysiagrass (Zoysia japonica Steud.) in several locations across North Carolina. Symptoms become evident in the spring as the zoysiagrass comes out of winter dormancy. Circular or irregularly shaped patches, 10 to 30 cm in diameter, remain dormant as the surrounding turf resumes growth. These patches eventually collapse and die, leaving sunken depressions in the turf stand. After the initial appearance of symptoms, the zoysiagrass slowly recolonizes the patches by spreading inward from the perimeter. Microscopic observation revealed necrotic stolon and root tissue that was colonized by ectotrophic fungal hyphae, whereas leaf and sheath tissue was colonized by species of Curvularia, Colletotrichum, Alternaria, Ascochyta, Drechslera, or Fusarium. Sections of necrotic root and stolon tissue were washed under flowing tap water for 10 min, submersed in 0.6% NaOCl for 5 min, rinsed with sterile dH2O, blotted dry, and placed on ¼ strength potato dextrose agar amended with 100 μg/ml each of streptomycin sulfate and chloramphenicol. A total of 50 isolates were obtained from four locations during 2002 and 2003. A fungus resembling Ophiosphaerella spp. was consistently isolated and was confirmed to be Ophiosphaerella korrae by species-specific PCR assays (3) and rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequencing. Pathogenicity tests were conducted in the field on ‘El Toro’ zoysiagrass at the Lake Wheeler Turfgrass Field Laboratory in Raleigh, NC. Autoclaved rye grain (Secale cereale L.; 200 g of grain, 5.75 g of CaCO3, and 220 ml of H2O) was infested with one of eight O. korrae isolates. Plots (1 × 1 m) were inoculated on 13 October 2004 by removing an 11-cm-diameter core from the center of each plot to a 5-cm depth, placing 10 cm3 of infested rye grain in the bottom of the hole, and replacing the core. Noninoculated and uninfested rye grain treatments served as controls, and each treatment was replicated eight times in a randomized complete block. No symptoms were observed in the experimental area during 2005. In April 2006, five isolates (Zrr20, Zrr36, Zrr57, Zrr58, and Zrr59) incited spring dead spot symptoms in at least four of eight inoculated plots. The average diameter of patches induced by these isolates ranged from 7.9 to 11.4 cm. In April 2007, three isolates (Zrr20, Zrr36, and Zrr57) incited symptoms in at least four plots, with average patch diameters ranging from 14.5 to 16.0 cm. These inoculation success rates and patch diameters were similar to those resulting from O. korrae inoculation of bermudagrass conducted on the same date (L. P. Tredway, unpublished data). No symptoms were observed in noninoculated plots or those amended with uninfested rye grain. O. korrae was consistently reisolated from symptomatic stolons and roots in May 2007 to complete Koch's postulates. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of spring dead spot of zoysiagrass caused by O. korrae in the United States. Previously, O. herpotricha was shown to induce spring dead spot symptoms on zoysiagrass in Kansas (1), and O. korrae was reported as a zoysiagrass pathogen in Japan (2). To date, we have only observed spring dead spot on the Zoysia japonica ‘El Toro’. References: (1) D. E. Green et al. Plant Dis. 77:1040, 1993. (2) T. Tani. Color Atlas of Turfgrass Diseases. Ann Arbor Press, Chelsea, MI, 1997. (3) N. A. Tisserat et al. Phytopathology 84:478, 1994.

First Report of Ophiosphaerella korrae Causing Spring Dead Spot of Bermudagrass in Italy

In the spring and summer of 2002, bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon × C. transvaalensis) turf in two golf courses located in Sardinia and Apulia (central and southern Italy, respectively) exhibited circular patches that were 10 to 70 cm in diameter. Patches developed in the spring on cv. Santa Ana in Sardinia and cv. Tifway 419 in Apulia, after the turf broke winter dormancy. Although the turf partially recovered during the summer, damage was evident throughout the year in greens, tees, and fairways. Patches coalesced to form large areas of straw-colored, blighted turfgrass. The symptoms observed on single plants resembled those of spring dead spot (SDS), including the presence of root rotting. The upper leaf blades, upper leaf sheaths, and upper culms of the diseased bermudagrass plants were bleached and dessicated, or dead. Infected roots, stolons, and rhizomes were covered with black ectotrophic mycelium. Isolation from infected roots on potato dextrose agar (PDA), supplemented with 100 mg/liter of streptomycin sulfate, consistently yielded a fungus with gray, fluffy, aerial mycelium that was at first light gray and later becoming darker. The maximum daily growth rates of all isolates on PDA ranged from 3 to 4.5 mm at 25°C. The cultural characteristics and growth rates of the isolates corresponded to those described for Ophiosphaerella korrae (4). Pathogenicity tests were performed on 8-week-old C. dactylon × C. transvaalensis (cvs. Santa Ana and Tifway 419) grown in plastic pots (15 × 15 cm). The substrate (sandy soil/sphagnum peat/perlite, 50:35:15) was infested separately with three isolates of O. korrae grown on autoclaved oat kernels, using 10 infested kernels per pot. Three replicates were used. Blight symptoms developed on inoculated plants after 8 weeks. Noninoculated plants remained healthy. The pathogen was consistently reisolated from inoculated plants. The pathogenicity test was carried out twice. SDS incited by O. korrae was reported in Australia (4) and the United States (1,2). To our knowledge, this is the first report of SDS on warm-season turfgrass in Italy, as well as in Europe. SDS continued to be observed in the following years after its first detection (3). In 2006, the disease was observed in Apulia (southern Italy). References: (1) J. N. Crayhay et al. Plant Dis. 72:945, 1988. (2) R. M. Endo et al. Plant Dis. 69:235, 1985 (3) P. Titone et al. Acta Hortic. 661:491, 2004. (4) J. Walker and A. M. Smith. Trans. Br. Mycol. Soc. 58:459, 1972.