What is it about?
Many microscopic fungi attack plants and cause plant diseases. Some of these fungi may become victims of fungal hyperparasites (the parasites of the parasites). The interactions between powdery mildew fungi, common pathogens of many plants, including important crops, and their intracellular hyperparasites belonging to the genus Ampelomyces are textbook examples of such interfungal parasitic relationships. This is the first detailed study of Ampelomyces hyperparasites isolated from diverse powdery mildews in Japan. It is also the first experimental timing and quantification of hyperparasitism in tomato powdery mildew using specific digital microscopy methods.
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Why is it important?
Some Ampelomyces hyperparasites have been commercialized as anti-powdery mildew biofungicides in different countries. This study provided the first, phylogenetically well-characterized strains that were isolated in Japan and evaluated their potential as biofungicides against tomato powdery mildew.
Perspectives
Our comprehensive analysis revealed the phylogenetic diversity of Ampelomyces hyperparasites isolated by our team from diverse plant and powdery mildew species in Japan. The taxonomy of the genus Ampelomyces is still unresolved; these results will certainly contribute to the taxonomic treatment of these fungi. The special digital microscopy system applied in this work to document for the first time the development of Ampelomyces in powdery mildew colonies will be useful in future studies to analyze expression levels of specific genes involved in mycoparasitism, and also to improve practical biocontrol strategies to suppress powdery mildew infections of diverse crops.
Levente Kiss
University of Southern Queensland
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Ampelomyces strains isolated from diverse powdery mildew hosts in Japan: Their phylogeny and mycoparasitic activity, including timing and quantifying mycoparasitism of Pseudoidium neolycopersici on tomato, PLoS ONE, May 2021, PLOS,
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0251444.
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