sdu faculty of forestry journal special edition 2009 - Orman Fakültesi

SDU Faculty of Forestry Journal
Serial: A, Number: Special Issue, Year: 2009, ISSN: 1302-7085, Page: 177-181
PRELIMINARY STUDIES ON GENETIC VARIATION IN
Gymnosporangium fuscum in the LAKES DISTRICT OF TURKEY
DETECTED WITH M13 MINISATELLITE MARKER
ABSTRACT
Asko LEHTIJÄRVI 1* , H. Tuğba DOĞMUŞ-LEHTIJÄRVI 1 ,
A. GüldenADAY 1 , Funda OSKAY 1
1 Suleyman Demirel University Faculty of Forestry 32260 CUNUR/ISPARTA
*asko@orman.sdu.edu.tr
Gymnosporangium fuscum infections on the trunk and branches of Juniperus excelsa
are common in natural stands in the Lakes District of Turkey. In the present study, level of
genetic variation among G. fuscum isolates was estimated. Telial horns were obtained from
trunk lesions in Sütçüler, Bucak-Aziziye and Beşkonak sites. From each telium DNA was
extracted by using plant mini kit. PCR amplification profiles were run using the M13
minisatellite core sequence. Preliminary results indicated low variation among the isolates.
Key words: European pear rust, Turkey, Minisatellite, M13, genetic variation
1. INTRODUCTION
Crimean juniper (Juniperus excelsa Bieb) contributes to 5.6 % of forest area in
Turkey. It grows on dry rocky slopes of hills and mountains at elevations ranging
from 150 to 2700 m above sea level, and often forms the tree line in the Taurus
Mountains. Crimean juniper has been under certain level of protection since 1996
when all silvicultural treatments in the juniper forests were ceased due to the bad
condition of the stands (Güner et al., 2000).
European pear rust is caused by the fungus Gymnosporangium fuscum DC. like
rusts in general, it alternates between two hosts: J. excelsa and Prunus spp. The
infections are perennial on the coniferous host, on which in spring it develops the
characteristic telial horns.
European pear rust is widely distributed throughout Europe with observations
(including) extending to Asia Minor (Lebanon, Syria and Turkey) and North Africa
(Algeria and Morocco). The pathogen has also been introduced to North America
(California, Washington, and British Columbia) probably through the importation
of junipers from Europe (Laundon, 1977; Hollebone, 2006). In Turkey, perennial
lesions caused by the rust are common on Crimean juniper in the Lakes district
(Doğmuş-Lehtijärvi et al., 2008).
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