Molecular identification of a new pathogenic fungus against the alien Hakea sericea

Abstract

Hakea sericea Schrad. is a species belonging to the Proteacea family, which is expanding all over the Minho region and has recently been considered as one of the most invasive in our country. This alien woody species has experimented a successful expansion due, not only to its ability of survival in poor soils, but mainly to the effects of forest fires that stimulates the opening of the woody follicles and the release of the large accumulated seed store. Methods used to control Hakea proliferation, such as controlled fire or mechanical control, have revealed themselves inadequate. In order to develop other strategies for Hakea control, a new pathogenic fungus was isolated from field plants. Different fungus samples were identified based in their acervules and spores morphological characteristics. According to this analysis, all isolated fungi appear to belong to the genus Pestalotiopsis. The identification of the species was performed using molecular approaches. After genomic DNA isolation, it was performed a thermocyclic amplification of the ITS and 5.8 rRNA subunit regions using universal primers ITS sequences were then compared with orthologs of identified Pestalotiopsis species. The results indicate that all the fungi isolates are very similar to Pestalotiopsis funerea