Powered by OpenAIRE graph
Found an issue? Give us feedback
Mycologiaarrow_drop_down
Mycologia
Article . 2022
image/svg+xml Jakob Voss, based on art designer at PLoS, modified by Wikipedia users Nina and Beao Closed Access logo, derived from PLoS Open Access logo. This version with transparent background. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Closed_Access_logo_transparent.svg Jakob Voss, based on art designer at PLoS, modified by Wikipedia users Nina and Beao
versions View all 2 versions
addClaim

Ecuadorian Coptoborus beetles harbor Fusarium and Graphium fungi previously associated with Euwallacea ambrosia beetles.

Authors: Osborn, Rachel K; Ordóñez, Maria Eugenia; Cognato, Anthony I;

Ecuadorian Coptoborus beetles harbor Fusarium and Graphium fungi previously associated with Euwallacea ambrosia beetles.

Abstract

Ambrosia beetles from the scolytine tribe Xyleborini (Curculionidae) are important to the decomposition of woody plant material on every continent except Antarctica. These insects farm fungi on the walls of tunnels they build inside recently dead trees and rely on the fungi for nutrition during all stages of their lives. Such ambrosia fungi rely on the beetles to provide appropriate substrates and environmental conditions for growth. A small minority of xyleborine ambrosia beetle-fungal partnerships cause significant damage to healthy trees. The xyleborine beetle Coptoborus ochromactonus vectors a Fusarium (Hypocreales) fungus that is lethal to balsa (Ochroma pyramidale (Malvaceae)) trees in Ecuador. Although this pathogenic fungus and its associated beetle are not known to be established in the United States, several other non-native ambrosia beetle species are vectors of destructive plant diseases in this country. This fact and the acceleration of trade between South America and the United States demonstrate the importance of understanding fungal plant pathogens before they escape their native ranges. Here we identify the fungi accompanying Coptoborus ambrosia beetles collected in Ecuador. Classification based ribosomal internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS) sequences revealed the most prevalent fungi associated with Coptoborus are Fusarium sp. and Graphium sp. (Microascales: Microascaceae), which have been confirmed as ambrosia fungi for xyleborine ambrosia beetles, and Clonostsachys sp. (Hypocreales), which is a diverse genus found abundantly in soils and associated with plants. Phylogenetic analyses of the Fusarium strains based on ITS, translation elongation factor (EF1-α), and two subunits of the DNA-directed RNA polymerase II (RPB1 and RPB2) identified them as Fusarium sp. AF-9 in the Ambrosia Fusarium Clade (AFC). This Fusarium species was previously associated with a few xyleborine ambrosia beetles, most notably the species complex Euwallacea fornicatus (Eichhoff 1868) (Curculionidae: Scolytinae: Xyleborini). Examination of ITS and EF1-α sequences showed a close affinity between the Graphium isolated from Coptoborus spp. and other xyleborine-associated Graphium as well as the soil fungus Graphium basitruncatum. This characterization of ambrosia fungi through DNA sequencing confirms the identity of a putative plant pathogen spread by Coptoborus beetles and expands the documented range of Fusarium and Graphium ambrosia fungi.

Country
United States
Related Organizations
Keywords

Ambrosia Fusarium Clade, Phylogeny (mesh), phylogeny, Peptide Elongation Factor 1 (mesh), Weevils (mesh), Ambrosia (mesh), invasive species, 0607 Plant Biology (for), 3103 Ecology (for-2020), Fusarium (mesh), Xyleborini, Peptide Elongation Factor 1, Clonostachys, Fusarium, 0605 Microbiology (for), Animals (mesh), Plants (mesh), Animals, 3108 Plant biology (for-2020), Phylogeny, 31 Biological Sciences (for-2020), 3107 Microbiology (for-2020), Mycology & Parasitology (science-metrix), 3104 Evolutionary biology (for-2020), Plants, Scolytinae, Coleoptera, 0603 Evolutionary Biology (for), Infectious Diseases (rcdc), Ecuador (mesh), Weevils, Coleoptera (mesh), Ecuador, Ambrosia, 3108 Plant Biology (for-2020)

  • BIP!
    Impact byBIP!
    citations
    The total number of citations received by all articles of the researcher of interest.
    4
    popularity
    This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network.
    Top 10%
    influence
    This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
    Average
    impulse
    This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network.
    Top 10%
Powered by OpenAIRE graph
Found an issue? Give us feedback
citations
The total number of citations received by all articles of the researcher of interest.
BIP!Citations provided by BIP!
popularity
This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Popularity provided by BIP!
influence
This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Influence provided by BIP!
impulse
This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Impulse provided by BIP!
4
Top 10%
Average
Top 10%
Upload OA version
Are you the author of this publication? Upload your Open Access version to Zenodo!
It’s fast and easy, just two clicks!