Molecular Phylogenetic Diversity and Biological Characterization of <i>Diaporthe</i> Species Associated with Leaf Spots of <i>Camellia sinensis</i> in Taiwan
Hiran A. Ariyawansa,
Ichen Tsai,
Jian-Yuan Wang,
Patchareeya Withee,
Medsaii Tanjira,
Shiou-Ruei Lin,
Nakarin Suwannarach,
Jaturong Kumla,
Abdallah M. Elgorban,
Ratchadawan Cheewangkoon
Affiliations
Hiran A. Ariyawansa
Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, College of Bioresources and Agriculture, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
Ichen Tsai
Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, College of Bioresources and Agriculture, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
Jian-Yuan Wang
Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, College of Bioresources and Agriculture, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
Patchareeya Withee
Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Faculty of Agriculture, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
Medsaii Tanjira
Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Faculty of Agriculture, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
Shiou-Ruei Lin
Department of Tea Agronomy, Tea Research and Extension Station, Taoyuan 32654, Taiwan
Nakarin Suwannarach
Research Centre of Microbial Diversity and Sustainable Utilization, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
Jaturong Kumla
Research Centre of Microbial Diversity and Sustainable Utilization, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
Abdallah M. Elgorban
Department of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
Ratchadawan Cheewangkoon
Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Faculty of Agriculture, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
Camellia sinensis is one of the major crops grown in Taiwan and has been widely cultivated around the island. Tea leaves are prone to various fungal infections, and leaf spot is considered one of the major diseases in Taiwan tea fields. As part of a survey on fungal species causing leaf spots on tea leaves in Taiwan, 19 fungal strains morphologically similar to the genus Diaporthe were collected. ITS (internal transcribed spacer), tef1-α (translation elongation factor 1-α), tub2 (beta-tubulin), and cal (calmodulin) gene regions were used to construct phylogenetic trees and determine the evolutionary relationships among the collected strains. In total, six Diaporthe species, including one new species, Diaporthe hsinchuensis, were identified as linked with leaf spot of C. sinensis in Taiwan based on both phenotypic characters and phylogeny. These species were further characterized in terms of their pathogenicity, temperature, and pH requirements under laboratory conditions. Diaporthe tulliensis, D. passiflorae, and D. perseae were isolated from C. sinensis for the first time. Furthermore, pathogenicity tests revealed that, with wound inoculation, only D. hongkongensis was pathogenic on tea leaves. This investigation delivers the first assessment of Diaporthe taxa related to leaf spots on tea in Taiwan.
