Fusarium solani endo-polygalacturonase from decayed muskmelon fruit: purification and characterization

Fusarium solani is one of the more important fungal pathogens involved in pre- and post-harvest decay of muskmelon fruit. Production of polygalacturonase (PG), by F. solani was studied in vitro and in vivo . The fungus produced at least 14 PG isozymes with pIs of 4.5 to 9.5 in shake culture using pectin as the sole carbon source. When glucose and pectin were used in combination as the carbon source, total PG activity decreased substantially as compared to pectin alone, suggesting that glucose may suppress PG production in vitro . Only one PG isozyme, designated as PG1, was detected in extracts from infected fruit tissue. PG1 from decayed fruit was purified to homogeneity by protein extraction, ultrafiltration, gel filtration chromatography, and cation exchange chromatography. The molecular weight of PG1 was estimated at 38 kDa based on SDS-PAGE with a pI of 9.5 according to IEF-PAGE. PG1 exhibited only endo-PG activity based on viscosity reduction and thin layer chromatography analysis of products released by enzymatic action. The optimum pH for PG1 activity was 6. TheK_m and V_maxof PG1 using polygalacturonic acid as the substrate were 1.34 mg ml^-1and 0.30 unit μg protein^-1, respectively. PG1 effectively macerated fruit tissue which suggests that it may play an important role in decay of muskmelon fruit caused by F. solani .     

Genetic and pathogenic diversity within Ascochyta rabiei(Pass.) Lab. populations in Pakistan causing blight of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

Pathogenic and genetic diversity in Ascochyta rabiei populations in Pakistan were evaluated. Biological pathotyping of 130 A. rabiei isolates (obtained from hierarchically collected samples) was conducted on a set of three chickpea differentials, i.e. ILC 1929 (susceptible), ILC 482 (tolerant) and ILC 3279 (resistant), under controlled conditions. Disease severity data were recorded 12 days after inoculation. Statistical analysis grouped the isolates into three pathotype classes. Four isolates belonged to pathotype I (least aggressive), 79 isolates to pathotype II (medium aggressive) and 47 isolates to pathotype-III (highly aggressive).Genetic analysis was performed using RAPDs and oligonucleotide fingerprinting, where Hinf I-digested DNA was hybridized to the³²P-endlabeled oligonucleotide probes (CAA)₅, (GAA)₅, (GA)₈, (CA)₈and (GATA)₄. Dendrograms produced by cluster analysis discriminated 46 genotypes in the A. rabiei population of Pakistan. Genetic distances and relatedness between isolates were calculated. At a genetic distance of 0.3, genotypes were divided into six distinct genotype groups A, B, C, D, E and F containing 16, 11, 2, 5, 5 and 7 isolates, respectively. Most of the genotypes were area specific or predominated in certain areas but did not belong to a distinct pathotype, while most of the aggressive isolates (pathotype III) occurred in Northern Punjab and in the North Western Frontier Province.     

啤酒花根癌土壤杆菌生物型的鉴定及生物防治的初步探讨

啤酒花根癌病在我国发生普遍,是影响啤酒花生产的重要病害。从啤酒花主要生产基地新疆、山东、浙江等地分离到61个菌株。通过培养性状、染色反应,以及14～15个菌株的生理生化性状和12个菌株致病性的测定,确定啤酒花根癌病病原菌为根癌土壤杆菌Agrobacteria tumefaciens(E.F.Smith &Jownsend)Conn属生物型1、病原菌菌株对K84(Agrobacterium radiobacter)菌株的细菌素敏感,各菌株间敏感性的强弱不一。盆裁番茄和啤酒花初步生防试验表明,用K84与敏感性强的菌株按1:1比例混合接种,番茄和啤酒花都不产生瘿瘤;而敏感性弱的菌株需用3:1才能防止瘿瘤的产生。     

Differentiation of Cotton-defoliating and Nondefoliating Pathotypes of Verticillium dahliae by RAPD and Specific PCR Analyses

Severe Verticillium wilt of cotton in southern Spain is associated with the spread of a highly virulent, defoliating (D) pathotype of Verticillium dahliae. Eleven of the D and 15 of a mildly virulent, nondefoliating (ND) pathotype were analyzed by random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Six of 21 primers tested generated pathotype-associated RAPD bands. Another 21 V. dahliae isolates were compared in blind trials both by RAPD-PCR using the six selected primers and pathogenicity tests on cotton cultivars. There was a 100% correlation between pathotype characterization by each method. Unweighted paired group method with arithmetic averages cluster analysis was used to divide the 47 V. dahliae isolates into two clusters that correlated with the D or ND pathotypes. There was more diversity among ND isolates than among D isolates, these latter isolates being almost identical. ND- and D-associated RAPD bands of 2.0 and 1.0kb, respectively, were cloned, sequenced, and used to design specific primers for the D and ND pathotypes. These pathotype-associated RAPD bands were present only in the genome of the pathotype from which they were amplified, as shown by Southern hybridization. The specific primers amplified only one DNA band of the expected size, and in the correct pathotype, when used for PCR with high annealing temperature. These specific primers successfully characterized V. dahliae cotton isolates from China and California as to D or ND pathotypes, thus demonstrating the validity and wide applicability of the results.     

棉花枯萎病菌的致病性及其碳素营养的试验研究

南通棉花枯萎病菌对22个棉花品种致病性的田間和盆栽試驗说明:中棉品种如辽阳一号、鶯湖棉、长丰黑籽、常紫一号、南通白花鸡脚桠鈴果、云南布沼土棉等抗病性比較強,以中棉为母本的中印杂交棉的抗病性也較強;陆地棉和海島棉一般感病程度都較高,但四川选育的陆地棉品种52—128則具有一定的抗病性。将枯萎病菌接种到甘藷等27种作物上,均未感病。五个地区的棉花枯萎病菌致病性的盆栽試驗说明:四川、陝西、辽宁的病原菌致病力較強,江苏的其次,安徽的最弱。以葡萄糖、果糖、半乳糖、甘露糖、乳糖、蔗糖、菊糖、溶解淀粉、阿拉伯糖醇等九种糖和糖醇为碳素营养料时,除四川的病原菌在以半乳糖为碳素营养料时生长中等外,其他都生长旺盛。不同地区病原菌的色素形成、小型孢子、大型孢子和厚膜孢子的产生,随碳素营养料的不同而有所差異。     

Cell wall-degrading enzymes of Didymella bryoniae in relation to fungal growth and virulence in cantaloupe fruit

Didymella bryoniae is an important pathogen of cucurbits worldwide. Virulence factors of D. bryoniae were investigated in regard to fungal growth and the production of the cell wall-degrading enzymes, polygalacturonase (PG), pectate lyase (PL), pectin lyase (PNL), β-galactosidase (β-Gal) and cellulase (Cx). Virulence levels of five D. bryoniae isolates were determined by the severity of inoculated cantaloupe fruit decay. The highly virulent isolates had more mycelial growth than the moderately virulent isolates in different media. PG activities produced by the highly virulent isolates in shake cultures and in decayed fruit were greater than those of the moderately virulent isolates. PNL, but not PL, in decayed fruit was higher with the highly virulent isolates compared to the moderately virulent ones. The highly virulent isolates showed higher Cx activity than the moderately virulent ones in decayed fruit and in fruit tissue shake culture. β-Gal activities of the highly virulent isolates in pectin shake culture and in decayed fruit were greater than those of the two moderately virulent isolates although fruit also produced β-Gal. Protein analysis showed two fungal β-Gal isozymes in decayed fruit compared to those of healthy fruit. Correlation analysis indicated that the activities of PG, PNL, β-Gal and Cx in cultures and in decayed fruit positively correlated with fungal growth and fruit decay severity. The results of this study suggest that PG, PNL, β-Gal, and Cx appear to be virulence factors of D. bryoniae in cantaloupe decay with PG and β-Gal as the most predominant fruit decay enzymes.     

华南水稻白叶枯病菌致病性分化检测与分析

为了解华南稻区水稻白叶枯病菌的致病性分化和变异动态,采集华南地区水稻白叶枯病病叶标样分离病原菌,应用中国鉴别寄主IR26、南粳15、爪哇14、特特普、金刚30和国际水稻已知抗病基因的近等基因系IRBB5、IRBB13、IRBB3、IRBB14、IRBB2、IR24两套鉴别寄主,在水稻孕穗期采用剪叶法接种,依据寄主和菌株的互作反应检测病菌的致病性分化。结果显示,参试菌株可划分为Ⅰ、Ⅱ、Ⅲ、Ⅳ、Ⅴ、Ⅸ六个致病型和R1、R2、R3、R4、R5、R8、R10七个致病小种。Ⅴ、Ⅳ致病型和R8、R5小种出现频率分别为27.40%、19.30%和44.67%、15.34%,为华南稻区优势种群。Ⅸ、Ⅴ、Ⅳ致病型和R8、R5小种对500份华南稻区品种资源的致病率依次为96.40%、95.00%、50.40%、62.00%和42.60%;Ⅸ致病型毒性最强且发展很快;强致病菌系Ⅴ型已替代Ⅳ型发展为华南优势致病菌系。     

Homothallism in Pseudoperonospora humuli

The downy mildew pathogen, Pseudoperonospora humuli, forms oospores abundantly in diseased hop tissue. Diverse monosporangial isolates of P. humuli derived from samples collected in Japan, Germany and the USA readily formed oospores within hop leaves when inoculated singly, suggesting homothallism. Single zoospore isolates also readily formed oospores within hop leaves, further supporting the homothallic nature of this oomycete. The majority of oospores were deemed viable based on cytoplasm characteristics and plasmolysis assays. However, disease symptoms failed to develop when hop leaves were inoculated with newly formed oospores, even when oospore conditioning was attempted with treatment with potassium permanganate or β‐glucuronidase/arylsulphatase, brief exposure to freezing temperature, or passage through an earthworm. Oospores derived from a monosporangial isolate of P. humuli that overwintered outdoors in infested leaves buried in soil also failed to cause downy mildew. Pseudoperonospora humuli is homothallic and oospores of the organism appear to require as yet unknown conditions to stimulate their germination and/or infection.     

Genetic variability and virulence among Verticillium albo-atrum isolates from hop

Verticillium wilt, caused by Verticillium albo-atrum or V. dahliae, is an important disease of many worldwide crop species. In Europe, V. albo-atrum isolates infecting hop express different levels of virulence, inducing mild or lethal disease syndromes, and it is therefore an attractive model for studying the virulence of this pathogen. In this work, eleven amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) primer combinations were used to analyze genetic variability among 55 V. albo-atrum hop isolates from four European hop growing regions, as well as isolates from other hosts and V. dahliae isolates. Cluster analysis divided V. albo-atrum and V. dahliae isolates into two well-separated groups. Within the V. dahliae cluster, isolates were separated without host specific grouping, although no host adapted isolates were included. In V. albo-atrum, the alfalfa isolates were distinct from isolates of other hosts, where a high association with virulence was observed in hop and tomato isolates. All lethal hop isolates were genetically different from mild hop isolates. The lethal hop isolates from England and Slovenia expressed the same virulence phenotype, although they showed a different AFLP pattern. The mild hop isolates formed two subgroups, to which isolates clustered irrespective of geographical location. These data suggest multiple origins of V. albo-atrum hop isolates, and the possible appearance of new virulent isolates in the future in other hop growing regions.     

Different Classes of Resistance to Turnip Mosaic Virus in Brassica rapa

Pathotype-specific and broad-spectrum resistance to turnip mosaic virus (TuMV) have been identified in the diploid A genome brassica species Brassica rapa. The pathotype-specific resistance is effective against pathotype 1 isolates of TuMV, which are the most common in Europe. It is almost identical in its specificity to that of a mapped resistance gene (TuRB01) present in the A genome of the amphidiploid species Brassica napus. A mutant of a pathotype 1 isolate of TuMV (UK 1M) that is able to overcome TuRB01 also overcame the B. rapa resistance. This, combined with the fact that a single-nucleotide mutation in the cylindrical inclusion gene of TuMV that has been shown to induce a change from avirulence to virulence against TuRB01, had an identical effect on the B. rapa resistance, suggest that the two resistances are conditioned by the same gene. A second source of resistance in B. rapa prevented systemic spread of all TuMV isolates tested. A third source of resistance that appears to provide immunity to, or severely restrict replication of most isolates of TuMV has been characterised. This resistance source also prevented systemic spread of all TuMV isolates tested. Prior to this study, no resistance to pathotype 4 or pathotype 12 isolates of TuMV had ever been identified. For each of these three resistance sources, plant lines that are not segregating for some of the resistance phenotypes and that are presumably homozygous for the genes controlling these phenotypes have been generated. Strategies for further characterising and deploying these resistances in different Brassica species are described.     

Electrophoretic karyotyping and mapping of pathotype-specific DNA sequences in Japanese isolates of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Verticillium dahliae</Emphasis>

The chromosome number and electrophoretic karyotype of Japanese isolates of Verticillium dahliae were investigated. In a genomic Southern blot analysis of seven isolates probed with a telomere consensus sequence (TTAGGG)₅, 12 or 14 bands were observed. Furthermore, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) of these isolates revealed five or six chromosomal bands. A band (approx. 3.5 Mbp) common to all isolates apparently contained more than two chromosomes. From these results, we concluded that each isolate’s chromosome number is six (an eggplant pathotype isolate) or seven (all isolates of tomato and sweet pepper pathotypes). Although the chromosome sizes differed among isolates, karyotypes were similar within tomato and sweet pepper pathotypes. A small chromosome (approx. 1.8 Mbp) was observed only in the sweet pepper pathotype. Subsequent PFGE-Southern hybridization analyses revealed that the three DNA fragments specific to tomato pathotype are located on the same chromosome. These results suggest that the tomato-pathotype-specific DNA sequences might coexist on one chromosome.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Mycosphaerella graminicola</Emphasis> produces a range of cell wall-degrading enzyme activities <Emphasis Type="Italic">in vitro</Emphasis> that vary with the carbon source

In this study, two Mycosphaerella graminicola isolates produced a range of cell wall-degrading enzymes (CWDE) in vitro that can potentially degrade wheat cell walls. The influence of three carbon sources on CWDE in vitro production was tested: 1) 1 % galactose (w/v), 2) 1% wheat cell walls (w/v) and 3) a mixture of 1% galactose (w/v) and 1% wheat cell walls (w/v). Six major activities produced by both isolates were detected: xylanase, β-1,3-glucanase, polygalacturonase, cellulase, β-xylosidase and β-galactosidase. Time-course experiments showed that different levels of enzyme activities were obtained with isolates 323 and 94269. These activities levels varied also with the type of carbon source used. Principal Component Analysis showed that the enzyme activities are gathered into two groups. None of the activities of the first group was correlated to the activities of the second group. It also showed that the optimal medium that allowed the production of most of the major activities contained both galactose and wheat cell walls.     

Comparison of genotyping by sequencing and microsatellite markers for unravelling population structure in the clonal fungus Verticillium dahliae

Microsatellite genotyping of a large sample of isolates of Verticillium dahliae from diverse locations recently identified seven distinct genotypic clusters. However, these clusters were not put in the context of phenotypes known to be correlated with clonal lineages in V. dahliae. The objective of this study was to compare clusters defined by microsatellite markers with clonal lineages defined by single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and vegetative compatibility groups (VCGs). Genotyping isolates known to belong to specific clonal lineages (based on SNPs) with microsatellite markers determined the correspondence of clusters and lineages. All but one cluster corresponded to a known clonal lineage, allowing analysis of correlations of phenotypes with microsatellite genotypes from other studies. As shown previously, most race 1 isolates are in lineage 2A, and most isolates with the defoliating pathotype are in lineage 1A. Phylogenetic incompatibility was used to test for recombination or homoplasy caused by hypervariable microsatellite loci; incompatibility was highly correlated with the number of alleles per locus, suggesting that homoplasy caused by parallel evolution of microsatellite alleles is the cause of incompatibility. Microsatellite genotyping of lineage 1A isolates from cotton and olive in Spain over a 29‐year period revealed remarkably little variation; these markers did not mutate enough to provide insight on the spatial and temporal expansion of this clone. Overall, this study showed that microsatellite genotyping can be used to identify clonal lineages in V. dahliae, which has predictive power for inferring phenotypes of phytopathological relevance such as race and pathotype.     

对大黑鳃金龟甲幼虫高效的苏云金芽胞杆菌筛选及cry基因鉴定

为获得对大黑鳃金龟甲幼虫具有较高杀虫活性的菌株,利用拌土法测定了本实验室分离的500株苏云金芽胞杆菌(Bacillus thuringiensis,Bt)对大黑鳃金龟甲的杀虫活性,建立Bt菌株比较鉴别技术来进行多样性分析,并对菌株的晶体形态及幼虫感染Bt后的中肠组织切片进行观察。结果显示,从500株Bt菌株中筛选到42株对大黑鳃金龟甲幼虫具有不同程度活性的菌株,分属于14个菌株类型;其中有10株校正死亡率大于60%,261-1菌株杀虫活性最高,7 d校正死亡率达100%。从14个菌株类型中各选取1个代表菌株进行基因鉴定,仅P65-1、1126-1、FCD114和78-2菌株分别含有cry8Ma、cry8Ca、cry8Ab、cry8Ga、cry8Ea共5个cry8类新基因,其它10个菌株均不含cry3、cry8、cry18、cry23、cry37、cry43等对鞘翅目害虫有效的杀虫基因。14个菌株中,78-3、127-2和1198-1菌株能产生双锥体型晶体,261-1、FCD114、P65-1、FTL84、78-2和1126-1菌株能产生球形晶体。幼虫感染261-1、1198-1、FCD114、1126-1、QDL40-2菌株后,中肠组织发生明显的病理变化:2 d时肠壁细胞明显出现空洞化,排列疏松,4 d时受到严重破坏并脱离底膜。表明筛选到的Bt菌株具有防治大黑鳃金龟甲幼虫的潜力。     

Comparative Study of Genetic Diversity and Pathogenicity Among Populations of Verticillium Dahliae from Cotton in Spain and Israel

Genetic diversity and phenotypic diversity in Verticillium dahliae populations on cotton were studied among 62 isolates from Spain and 49 isolates from Israel, using vegetative compatibility grouping (VCG), virulence and molecular assays. In Spain, defoliating V. dahliae isolates (D pathotype) belong to VCG1, and non-defoliating isolates (ND) belong to VCG2A (often associated with tomato) and VCG4B (often associated with potato). The D pathotype was not identified in Israel. The ND pathotype in Israel is comprised of VCG2B and VCG4B. Isolates in VCG2B and VCG4B ranged in virulence from weakly virulent to highly virulent. The highly virulent isolates induced either partial defoliation or no defoliation. Virulence characteristics varied with inoculation method and cotton cultivar. Highly virulent isolates from Israel were as virulent as D isolates from Spain under conditions conducive to severe disease. The D pathotype is pathologically and genetically homogeneous, whereas the ND pathotype is heterogeneous with respect to virulence, VCG, and molecular markers based on single-primer RAPD and on PCR primer pairs.     

The effects of co‐infection by different Potato virus Y (PVY) isolates on virus concentration in solanaceous hosts and efficiency of transmission

The influence of co‐infection on concentration and accumulation of genetically different isolates of Potato virus Y (PVY) in potato and tobacco plants and the efficiency of transmission by Myzus persicae of PVY isolates from doubly versus singly infected plants were evaluated. The vector ability to simultaneously transmit two virus isolates was examined. Eight PVY isolates represented three strain groups: PVY^O (pathotype and serotype O), PVY^NW (pathotype N and serotype O), and PVY^NTN (pathotype and serotype N). Different diagnostic methods, including DAS‐ELISA, multiplex RT‐PCR, aphid transmission tests and bioassays, were applied to detect the presence of PVY isolates in source and assay plants. Significant reductions in concentrations of certain PVY isolates during co‐infection with other isolates were found both in potato and tobacco plants. The observed effects were both isolate‐ and host‐dependent in form. The highest rates of virus transmission by single aphids were recorded with PVY^NTN isolates, and the lowest ones with PVY^O isolates. Individual aphids of M. persicae were able to simultaneously transmit two PVY isolates. The frequency of transmission was generally low, but it reached as high as 20% for one of the isolate combinations. The findings presented in the work provide proof for antagonistic within‐plant interactions between isolates of PVY, with some implications of these interactions for virus transmission by aphid vectors. Consequently, this research contributes to a better understanding of the epidemiology of the disease caused by PVY.     

Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae induces systemic resistance to Pyricularia oryzae in rice

Systemic resistance was induced to Pyricularia aryzae in rice by inoculation of the first leaf with the hypersensitive response causing bacterium, Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae. Lesions caused by Pyricularia oryzae were decreased in number and size by 85% and 50%, respectively, in systemically protected leaves. Increased resistance was associated with the deposition of a dark brown material around sites of Pyricularia oryzae infection. The systemically acquired resistance was not associated with an increase in the activities of phenylalanine ammonia lyase, coniferyl alcohol dehydrogenase, peroxidase, β-1, 3-glucanase or chitinase after the challenge inocculation with Pyricularia oryzae. The levels of these enzymes were elevated by local exposure to Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae or Pyricularia oryzae, but were not systemically induced. These data suggest that the physiological changes which occur during induced resistance in rice are different from those correlated with induced resistance in tobacco or cucumber.     

Comparison of mycelial proteomes of two <Emphasis Type="Italic">Verticillium albo-atrum</Emphasis> pathotypes from hop

Verticillium wilt diseases caused by Verticillium spp. are known in many important crops and can seriously threaten their production. We studied Verticillium albo-atrum by comparative analysis of the proteome of four hop isolates, classified by the severity of wilt symptoms as mild and lethal pathotypes, from two geographic origins. A two-dimensional electrophoresis reference map of mycelium proteins was first established, resolving up to 650 protein spots on Coomassie-stained gels in a range of pH 4–7 and M_W 14 – 116 kDa. The average coefficient of variance for the 268 matched protein spots was 16% and 15%, respectively, for technical and biological variability. Principal component analysis (PCA) discriminated the geographic origin of the isolates and between the two pathotypes and showed a closer relationship among English isolates than Slovene ones. The two-dimensional electrophoresis patterns of one mild (PG1) with one lethal pathotype (PG2) from Slovenia and one mild (M) with one lethal pathotype (PV1) from England were compared. A total of 27 and 30 spots were found differentially expressed between the pathotypes, which were analysed by tandem mass spectrometry. Fifty-three proteins were identified, of which 17 matched proteins with annotated functions. The lethal pathotypes showed increased expression of peroxiredoxine and ascorbate peroxidase, a higher level of cytoskeleton components and regulators, and a higher rate of protein synthesis and energy metabolism. These results reveal differences in the expression level of the identified proteins between the two pathotypes and are discussed in relation to virulence. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Pathological evaluation of host-specific AAL-toxins and fumonisin mycotoxins produced by Alternaria and Fusarium species

Host-specific AAL-toxins and mycotoxin fumonisins are structurally related and were originally isolated from the tomato pathotype of Alternaria alternata and from Fusarium verticillioides, respectively. Previous reports on the production of fumonisin derivatives by the tomato pathotype suggested a possible involvement in the pathogenicity of the pathogen. Here, we have evaluated the role of fumonisin in A. alternata–tomato interactions. The results indicate that highly pathogenic isolates of A. alternata tomato pathotype produce AAL-toxin as the sole toxin, strongly implicating it as a pathogenicity factor. The related compound, fumonisin, is also toxigenic and has infection-inducing activity on susceptible tomato plants.     

Cultural characteristics, pathogenicity and genetic diversity of Fusarium oxysporum isolates from tobacco fields in Spain

Several formae speciales of Fusarium oxysporum are capable to produce disease in tobacco plants. Different authors have classified those isolates as a forma specialis or a race within on the basis of the severity of disease and host specificity. Fusarium wilt of tobacco plant in Extremadura (central Spain) tobacco fields have been recorded in the last years and F. oxysporum was isolated from symptomatic plants. The aim of our study was to characterize these F. oxysporum populations. For this purpose, the in vitro spore production and growth and the virulence (severity of disease) have been tested. Although all isolates behaved as pathogen, the virulence of isolates was different. The differences in growth could not be correlated with other characteristics but the two isolates with scarce spore production have also behaved as the weakest pathogen. We have analyzed intergenic spacer (IGS) region polymorphism of ribosomal DNA and random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers to assess the genetic diversity within F. oxysporum isolates. These molecular analyses showed two major groups with different physiological capabilities that could reflect two different lineages. One group was characterized by medium–high sporulation, high virulence and the same IGS-RFLP pattern. The other group was more heterogeneous featuring low–medium sporulation and variable virulence and growth. This first experimental approach to pathogen population could be a good starting point for further studies including non-pathogenic isolates and a larger number of pathogen that could clarify if there are two or more genetic lineages.