Teratosphaeria destructans in - Murdoch Research Repository ...

Teratosphaeria destructans in
Australia; Biosecurity threat or
elusive native pathogen?
V. Andjic 1,4 ,M. Glen 3 , B. Dell 1 , M.J. Wingfield 2 ,
G. E. StJ. Hardy 1 , Treena Burgess 1
1
School of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Murdoch University, Murdoch, 6150, Australia
2
Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, University of Pretoria, 0002, South Africa
3
CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems, Private Bag 12, Hobart, 7001, Australia
4
Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service, Perth International Airport, 6105, Australia
Email: vera.andjic@daff.gov.au

Eucalypts as plantations species
‣ Native to Australia, few species found in Papua New
Guinea, parts of Indonesia and Philippines.
‣ Introduced from Australia to other parts of the
world. Highly favoured plantation species (fast
growing), provides pulp for paper industry.
‣ To meet world demand for pulp and paper many
commercial plantations have been established outside
of Australia where eucalypts were grown as exotic
species.
‣ Many species trials have been established for genetic
selection which led to clonal forestry that resulted in
diseases outbreaks.

Teratosphaeria destructans
=Phaeophleospora destructans
=Kirramyces destructans
‣ is a devastating eucalypt leaf pathogen first
described by (Wingfield & Crous, 1996) from 1-3
years old Eucalyptus grandis in Sumatra,
Indonesia.
‣ 2000-2001 has been reported from nurseries
and young plantations in Thailand and Vietnam.
‣ 2003-2005 T. destructans has been reported
from native E. urophylla in East Timor and
production nurseries in China.

Symptoms caused by T. destructans include:
‣ leaf distortion
‣ blight of young leaves, buds and shoots
‣ severe defoliation of juvenile leaves on trees

Objective:
To determine the population diversity and
distribution of T. destructans in southeast
Asia using multi gene phylogenies
and microsatellite markers.

2005
ITS-EF-BT-CHS-ATP6
(over 2000bp ) not a single bp difference
99
CMW11687
CMW17916
T. eucalypti
100
100
CMW17919-China
CMW19909-China
CMW19832-Indonesia
CMW17918-Indonesia
CMW15089-Vietnam
CMW15090-Vietnam
CMW16123-Thailand
CMW13337-Thailand
T. destructans

‣ From 2003-2006 regular surveys were
conducted in Northern Australia. A
devastating disease was observed and
thought to be caused by T. destructans.
‣ However, the phylogenetic and
morphological studies revealed that the
Teratosphaeria sp. associated with these
symptoms represents a new taxon
described as Teratosphaeria viscidus.

2006
ITS-EF-BT
12 fixed polymorphic sites
99
CMW11687
CMW17916
T. eucalypti
100
100
100
CMW17919-China
CMW19832-Indonesia
CMW15092-Vietnam
CMW16120-Thailand
T. destructans
100
MUCC452 – Australia
MUCC453 – Australia
MUCC454 - Australia
MUCC455 - Australia
T. viscidus

‣ In 2007, T. destructans was reported from the
Tiwi Island and Derby in Australia.

99
CMW11687
CMW17916
T. eucalypti
100
99
CMW17919-China
CMW19832-Indonesia
CMW15092-Vietnam
CMW16120-Thailand
DFR1168 – East Timor
DFR1169 – East Timor
2007
ITS-EF-BT
6 bp differences across Asian and
Australian isolates
TI8 – Tiwi’s, NT
TIC3 – Tiwi’s, NT
100 T. destructans
75
78
TI15 – Tiwi’s, NT
TIC2 – Tiwi’s, NT
TI28 – Tiwi’s, NT
100
85
100
89
TID3 – Tiwi’s, NT
TIF1 – Tiwi’s, NT
B1d – Derby, WA
B3a – Derby, WA
B3b – Derby, WA
MUCC452 - Mareeba, QLD
MUCC453 – Mareeba, QLD
MUCC454 - Mareeba, QLD
MUCC455 - Mareeba, QLD
T. viscidus

2008
30
12
3
61
2
8
30
Haplotype network based on sequence data from three
nuclear genes (ITS, EF1-α and β-tubulin) and the
flanking regions from 3 microsatellite loci (VA1, VA2 and
VA13). Colours correspond to collection location as
shown on the map. Only 20 representative isolates were
included from Asian collections (yellow).

VA1 VA2 VA13 DIVERSITY(%)
CHINA (30) A A A 0.0
THAILAND (12) A A A 0.0
VIETNAM (14) A A A
INDONESIA (61) A A-C A 3.2
TIMOR (2) A-B C A
DERBY (8) C D B-C 28.5
TIWI (30) D-G E-I D-I 32.1
NO. HAPLOTYPES 7 9 9

Conclusions:
‣ Diversity in Northern Australia much greater
than that in Asia suggests T. destructans
originates from Australia.
‣ However, it is possible that the isolates from
Derby and Tiwi Islands could be discrete species
or part of a continuum that is T. destructans.
‣ If cryptic species, then Teratosphaeria
destructans would still be considered a biosecurity
threat.
‣ Further studies are required to determine if T.
destructans is a biosecurity threat or an elusuve
native pathogen.
‣ Meanwhile new diseases are emerging in
Australia caused by other Teratosphaeria spp.
which are impacting on productivity of sub-tropical
eucalypt plantations.

2010
Good bye!

Acknowledgments:
‣ This work was funded in part by the Australian
Research Council DP0343600 and DP0664334.
‣ Vera Andjic is a recipient of a Murdoch
University Doctoral Research Scholarship.
‣ We also acknowledge funding from various
grants to the University of Pretoria linked to
tree protection research and a collaborative
research agreement linking the University of
Pretoria and Murdoch University.
‣ P. Barber and P. Dolok Saribu are thanked for
collecting isolates from Indonesia.
‣ Mike Wingfield and Bernie Dell for photos.