Journal of Plant Pathology (2010), 92 (4, Supplement ... - Sipav.org

Journal of Plant Pathology (2010), 92 (4, Supplement), S4.71-S4.105 S4.83
nist, e.g. Trichoderma or P. fluorescens, has been previously investigated
by using functional genomics and proteomic techniques.
In this study we propose testing the contemporary presence of
both BCAs in a very complex four-player system. The main strategy
of this research was to use a proteomic approach in order to
determine which molecular factors are activated in the interactions,
identify those compounds that have an important affect on
the activity of either or both BCAs during their concurrent interaction
with tomato roots and/or pathogen, and the relative plant
molecular responses to the different microorganisms. A method
has been developed and optimized to obtain 2-D gel maps of separately
collected proteomes from each partner, as well as all the
possible combinations of the components. Several plant and microbial
differentially accumulated proteins, selected from the
four interacting proteomes, have been isolated and are being
identified and characterized.
FIRST OBSERVATIONS ON THE FUNGAL ENDOPHYT-
IC COMMUNITY OF OLEA EUROPAEA IN SICILY. V. Ferraro,
S. Lo Piccolo, G. Conigliaro, V. Mondello, L. Torta, S. Burruano.
Dipartimento di Scienze Entomologiche, Fitopatologiche,
Microbiologiche, Agrarie e Zootecniche, Università degli Studi,
Viale delle Scienze 2, 90128 Palermo, Italy. E-mail: santella@unipa.it
During an etiological and epidemiological study on a new decline
(foliar chlorosis and withering twigs) of Olea europaea in
Sicily, the composition of the endophytic community of symptomless
and symptomatic olive tree organs was investigated. Two
Sicilian olive-groves, located in a hill and in a plain, respectively,
comparable for plant age, cultivar and agricultural management,
were taken into consideration from spring 2007 to autumn 2008.
Samples from healthy and diseased leaves and twigs were collected
to isolate fungal endophytes. The fungal endophytic community
varied quantitatively and qualitatively in relation to (i) type
and health condition of the sampled organ; (ii) site of collection
and (iii) survey period. Fungi belonging to the genera Alternaria,
Aureobasidium, Camarosporium, Cladosporium, Diplodia, Phoma,
Pleospora Septoria, Stemphylium, and several Mycelia sterilia were
detected in almost all samples. The overall colonization rates
(CR) were always higher in leaves than twigs, in both localities.
Moreover, CR showed variability also in relation to the health
condition of the organs. In fact, both in the hill and the plain, the
endophytic colonization was higher in symptomatic organs than
in the healthy ones. Although many taxa were detected, the results
of this investigation suggest that the relatively stable endophytic
fungal community residing in O. europaea is characterized
by a constant composition of common taxa. Studies to achieve
fungal identification and to evaluate the role of fungal endophytes
in O. europaea are in progress.
CHARACTERIZATION OF PSEUDOMONAS spp. STRAINS,
CAUSAL AGENTS OF CANKERS AND WILT OF STONE
FRUITS IN SARDINIA. M. Fiori, V. Ligios, A. Schiaffino. Dipartimento
di Protezione delle Piante, Università degli Studi, Via E. De
Nicola, 07100 Sassari, Italy. E-mail: fiorim@uniss.it
A collection of 94 bacterial strains was obtained from apricot,
nectarine, peach and plum trees showing cankers on twigs, stems
and branches, gum exudates, bud necrosis, wilting of shoots, and
spots on the leaves. Thirteen strains, selected on the basis of morphology
on NSA and hypersensitivity reaction on tobacco leaves,
were able to infect cherry plum GF31, watermelon and vegetable
marrow plantlets; two strains infected pepper and tomato and
five lilac and lemon fruits. On the basis of the results obtained by
Gram reaction, catalase, poly-hydroxybutyrate, fluorescence on
KB and LOPAT tests, five strains were identified as Pseudomonas
syringae (Ps), three as P. viridiflava (Pv), four as P. fluorescens.
One isolate was not identified. Biolog and serological agglutination
tests partially confirmed the above reported results, allowing
the assignment of three strains of Pseudomonas syringae to the patovar
syringae (Pss). Ater fatty acid analysis on five isolates, one
was ascribed to Ps (S.I., 0.967), one to Pv (S.I., 0.979), one to P.
putida (S.I., 0.847), while two were not identified. The analysis of
the thirteen strains with BOX-PCR produced 5 reaction profiles.
One of them was characteristic of the type strain Pss CFBP 700.
SyrB gene amplification of the three Pss strains produced the specific
band of 752 bp like the type strain Pss CFBP 700, confirming
their identification. In conclusion, while Pss is already present
in Italy in all plant species analyzed, Pv was not yet reported in
Europe on apricots and nectarine.
EFFECT OF WATER ACTIVITY AND FUNGICIDES ON
COMPETING ABILITIES OF COMMON MAIZE FUNGI.
S. Formenti 1 , N. Magan 2 , A. Pietri 3 , P. Battilani 1 . 1 Institute of
Entomology and Plant Pathology, Università Cattolica del Sacro
Cuore, Via Emilia Parmense 84, 29122 Piacenza, Italy. 2 Cranfield
Health, Vincent Building, Cranfield University, Bedford MK43
0AL, UK. 3 Institute of Science of Food and Nutrition, Università
Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Via Emilia Parmense 84, 29122 Piacenza,
Italy. E-mail: paola.battilani@unicatt.it
Maize is colonised by a mixture of spoilage fungi in pre- and
post-harvest. The occurrence of certain dominant fungal species
depends on several abiotic and biotic factors that determine their
prevalence in the maize grain ecosystem. In order to understand
when Fusarium spp. are able to dominate the maize ecosystem, it
is necessary to clarify the complex interactions which occur between
abiotic and biotic factors and their impact on the growth
and between fungal interactions. The aims of this study were: (i)
to determine the competitiveness of F. verticillioides against a
range of fungi commonly growing on maize (F. proliferatum, A.
flavus, A. ochraceus, A. niger and P. verrucosum), on artificial media
under different a w levels (0.99; 0.98; 0.95); (ii) to establish
how the presence of sub-optimal concentrations (50% effective
dose) of commercial fungicides (tebuconazole, prothioconazole
and prochloraz) affects interspecific interactions. The results
showed how F. verticillioides was able to compete effectively in
dual culture with other fungal species commonly isolated from
maize, although the dominance against some species was modified
by a w and the presence of fungicides. The dominance of F.
verticillioides without the presence of sub-optimal active ingredients
could be mainly due to its ability to grow rapidly and invasively.
A. flavus was the most competitive species at sub-optimal
levels of active ingredients tested, which is not surprising because
the tested products are considered as effective mainly towards
Fusaria. However, no important variation in the inter and intraspecific
interaction of common fungi in maize was noticed by the
addition of fungicides.
ABILITY OF SOME SOIL FUNGI TO DECREASE THE AC-
TIVE PRINCIPLE CONCENTRATION OF BIOFUMIGA-
TION BY BRASSICA CARINATA SEED MEAL. S. Galletti 1 ,
L. Ugolini 1 , P.L. Burzi 1 , S. Cianchetta 1 , R. Roberti 2 , C. Cerato 1 .
1 CRA, Centro di Ricerca per le Colture Industriali, Via di Corticella
133, 40128 Bologna, Italy. 2 Dipartimento di Protezione e Valo-