Genetic diversity of Phaeoisariopsis griseola in Argentina as revealed by pathogenic and molecular markers

Angular leaf spot, a disease of common bean produced by Phaeoisariopsis griseola, an imperfect (Deuteromycotina) fungus, causes significant yield losses in Argentina. The development of a strategy to control and/or reduce the impact of P. griseola requires a previous knowledge of the population structure. Therefore, the purpose of this work was to analyze diversity among 45 isolates of P. griseola collected within the production area of common bean in Northwestern Argentina. Pathotypes diversity was determined based on a set of bean differentials and genomic differences between isolates were determined by means of molecular markers. We confirmed that isolates belonging to Middle American and Andean groups coexist in Northwestern Argentina and the level of diversity between them was considerable and of similar level within each group. Even though the number of isolates analyzed was 45, among them 37 were Middle American and only eight were Andean. The number of haplotypes found based on ISSR and RAPD markers were 18 and as expected, they were unrelated with pathotypes. The wild bean species, Phaseolus vulgaris var. aborigineus, showed a high level of tolerance to most pathotypes of P. griseola except 63.63 and 63.23. This together with the fact that none of the bean differentials was resistant to all pathotypes led us to conclude that the range of pathogenic responses might be conditioned by multigenic interactions between the pathogen and the host. Our results not only provided basic information about the diversity of the causative agent of the disease but it will also help to develop cultivars with enhanced tolerance and/or resistance to the disease.