AUTHOR=Dong Zhangyong , Manawasinghe Ishara S. , Huang Yinghua , Shu Yongxin , Phillips Alan J. L. , Dissanayake Asha J. , Hyde Kevin D. , Xiang Meimei , Luo Mei 

TITLE=Endophytic Diaporthe Associated With Citrus grandis cv. Tomentosa in China

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=11

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2020.609387

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2020.609387

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<p><italic>Diaporthe</italic> species are associated with <italic>Citrus</italic> as endophytes, pathogens, and saprobes worldwide. However, little is known about <italic>Diaporthe</italic> as endophytes in <italic>Citrus grandis</italic> in China. In this study, 24 endophytic <italic>Diaporthe</italic> isolates were obtained from cultivated <italic>C. grandis</italic> cv. “Tomentosa” in Huazhou, Guangdong Province in 2019. The nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS), partial sequences of translation elongation factor 1-α (<italic>tef1</italic>), β-tubulin (<italic>tub2</italic>), and partial calmodulin (<italic>cal</italic>) gene regions were sequenced and employed to construct phylogenetic trees. Based on morphology and combined multigene phylogeny, eleven <italic>Diaporthe</italic> species were identified including two new species, <italic>Diaporthe endocitricola</italic> and <italic>D. guangdongensis</italic>. These are the first report of <italic>D. apiculata</italic>, <italic>D. aquatica</italic>, <italic>D. arecae</italic>, <italic>D. biconispora</italic>, <italic>D. limonicola</italic>, <italic>D. masirevicii</italic>, <italic>D. passifloricola, D. perseae</italic>, and <italic>D. sennae</italic> on <italic>C. grandis</italic>. This study provides the first intensive study of endophytic <italic>Diaporthe</italic> species on <italic>C. grandis</italic> cv. tomentosa in China. These results will improve the current knowledge of <italic>Diaporthe</italic> species associated with <italic>C. grandis</italic>. The results obtained in this study will also help to understand the potential pathogens and biocontrol agents and to develop a platform in disease management.</p>