Search

The occurrence and diversity of entomopathogenic nematodes (EPN) and their symbiotic bacteria was evaluated in commercial forestry plantations (Eucalyptus spp., Pinus spp. and Acacia mearnsii) and indigenous forests in South Africa. EPN were most prevalent in A. mearnsii plantations, accounting for 60.7% of the isolates, while indigenous forests, plantations of Pinus spp. and Eucalyptus spp. accounted for 35.7, 3.6 and 0% of the isolates, respectively. DNA sequences of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and D2-D3 28S rDNA regions were used to identify the nematode species. Four Steinernema spp. were identified, including S. citrae, S. sacchari, two undescribed species, as well as Heterorhabditis bacteriophora and H. baujardi. Heterorhabditis baujardi is reported from South Africa for the first time. Analysis of 16S rRNA of the bacteria confirmed the presence of at least three Xenorhabdus species from Steinernema isolates and two subspecies of Photorhabdus luminescens from Heterorhabditis species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing incidences of drought-induced tree mortality are being recorded worldwide, including Africa. African forests cover a significant proportion of the continent, which implies that African forest sustainability is threatened from a climate-change perspective. This is especially problematic in a developing nation context, because forest ecosystems such as plantation forestry provide important goods and services that sustain human well-being and economic growth. Disentangling the likely triggers of tree mortality (including those linked to drought) in landscapes would not only explain the mechanisms underlying local die-offs, but also better predict future mortality events. Methods applied in the field of ecophysiology are particularly useful to studyin situplant responses to an environment. We consider thestatus quoof global peer-reviewed publication outputs during the past century that have made use of key ecophysiological research approaches, specifically studies concerning ‘tree xylem anatomy’, ‘tree xylem cavitation’, ‘tree leaf gas-exchange’ and ‘tree xylem hydraulic conductivity’. We highlight the growth and applicability of this research field in understanding tree ecology. We also assess the role that the forestry sector has had in promoting such research to ensure future-proof forest products. Most importantly, we consider how Africa with its vast forested landscapes fits within this research spectrum. The last decade saw an increase of up to 60% in the total number of articles published, particularly with a focus on tree xylem cavitation and conductivity. Although forest research contributed greatly to the global tally of ecophysiological studies, and such studies in Africa have also increased by up to 88% in the past decade, there remains a general lack of this research topic in the continent. It is clear an optimisation of applied ecophysiological concepts and techniques will promote an improved understanding of tree mortality patterns. We argue that ecophysiological data will be crucial to future-proof tree improvement strategies in African commodity production landscapes, especially given future drier climates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The overall goal of this study was to determine whether the genome of an important plant pathogen in Africa, Ceratocystis albifundus , is structured into subgenomic compartments, and if so, to establish how these compartments are distributed across the genome. For this purpose, the publicly available genome of C. albifundus was complemented with the genome sequences for four additional isolates using the Illumina HiSeq platform. In addition, a reference genome for one of the individuals was assembled using both PacBio and Illumina HiSeq technologies. Our results showed a high degree of synteny between the five genomes, although several regions lacked detectable long-range synteny. These regions were associated with the presence of accessory genes, lower genetic similarity, variation in read-map depth, as well as transposable elements and genes associated with host-pathogen interactions (e.g. effectors and CAZymes). Such patterns are regarded as hallmarks of accelerated evolution, particularly of accessory subgenomic compartments in fungal pathogens. Our findings thus showed that the genome of C. albifundus is made-up of core and accessory subgenomic compartments, which is an important step towards characterizing its pangenome. This study also highlights the value of comparative genomics for understanding mechanisms that may underly and influence the biology and evolution of pathogens. • Ceratocystis albifundus has a two-speed genome. • Its genome consists of core and accessory subgenomic compartments. • Genetic variation is linked to the presence and activity of transposable elements. • Genome structure likely contributed to pathogenicity and host specialization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polymorphic sequence-characterised marker assays from a recent diversity study on the Ascomycete fungus Ophiostoma quercus reported that some isolates from Africa were genetically distinct from O. quercus. In the present study, these African isolates were compared with authentic O. quercus isolates by evaluating morphological characters, growth in culture, mating compatibility and DNA sequence data. The isolates from Africa were morphologically similar to O. quercus, presenting Pesotum and Sporothrix synanamorphs in culture. Phylogenetic analyses of the ribosomal internal transcribed spacer regions 1 and 2, beta-tubulin and translation elongation factor 1-alpha gene regions confirmed that the African group represents a distinct species within the hardwood lineage of the O. piceae complex, closely related to O. ulmi and O. himal-ulmi. Mating studies between O. quercus and the African isolates showed that isolates mated predominantly with those of their own group, although there were rare cases of fertile crosses between the groups. Isolates residing in the African lineage are described here as a new species, O. tsotsi sp. nov.

The basidiomycete genus Armillaria causes root rot and death to woody plants in boreal, temperate and tropical regions of the world. Armillaria root rot has been described from various parts of Africa on many different hosts. However, very little is known regarding the evolutionary relationships among Armillaria species in Africa. The aim of this study was to determine the phylogenetic relationships between isolates originating from different regions in Africa using nDNA sequences from two non-coding gene regions. The ITS and the IGS-1 regions of the ribosomal DNA operon were sequenced and analysed using different phylogenetic tree searching methods. Phylogenetic trees grouped the African taxa in two strongly supported clades. One of these represented A. fuscipes and the other an undescribed but distinct species.