This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Aime, M.C. Articles by Phillips-Mora, W. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Aime, M.C. Articles by Phillips-Mora, W. Agricola Articles by Aime, M.C. Articles by Phillips-Mora, W.

The causal agents of witches’ broom and frosty pod rot of cacao (chocolate, Theobroma cacao) form a new lineage of Marasmiaceae

     USDA-Agricultural Research Service, Systematic Botany and Mycology Lab, 10300 Baltimore Ave., Beltsville, Maryland 20705

W. Phillips-Mora

     Cacao Breeding Program, CATIE 7170, Turrialba, Costa Rica

The two most devastating diseases of cacao (Theobroma cacao)—the source of chocolate—in tropical America are caused by the fungi Crinipellis perniciosa (witches’ broom disease) and Moniliophthora roreri (frosty pod rot or moniliasis disease). Despite the agricultural, socio-economic and environmental impact of these fungi, most aspects of their life cycles are unknown, and the phylogenetic relationships of M. roreri have yet to be conclusively established. In this paper, extensive phylogenetic analyses of five nuclear gene regions (28S rDNA, 18S rDNA, ITS, RPB1, and EF1-) confirm that C. perniciosa and M. roreri are sister taxa that belong in the Marasmiaceae (euagarics). Furthermore, these taxa form part of a separate and distinct lineage within the family. This lineage includes the biotrophic fungi Moniliophthora perniciosa comb. nov. and M. roreri, as well as one undescribed endophytic species. The sister genera to Moniliophthora are Marasmius, Crinipellis and Chaetocalathus, which consist mainly of saprotrophic litter fungi.

Key words: anamorphic basidiomycetes, cacao pathogens, cocoa, fungal taxonomy, molecular systematics

This article has been cited by other articles:

				F. Z. Bertolde, A.-A. F. D. Almeida, R. X. Correa, F. P. Gomes, F. A. Gaiotto, V. C. Baligar, and L. L. Loguercio Molecular, physiological and morphological analysis of waterlogging tolerance in clonal genotypes of Theobroma cacao L. Tree Physiol, January 1, 2010; 30(1): 56 - 67. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. S. Johnson, F. L. Bekele, S. J. Brown, Q. Song, D. Zhang, L. W. Meinhardt, and R. J. Schnell Population Structure and Genetic Diversity of the Trinitario Cacao (Theobroma cacao L.) from Trinidad and Tobago Crop Sci., March 17, 2009; 49(2): 564 - 572. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Douanla-Meli and E. Langer Phylogenetic relationship of Marasmius mbalmayoensis sp. nov. to the tropical African Marasmius bekolacongoli complex based on nuc-LSU rDNA sequences Mycologia, May 1, 2008; 100(3): 445 - 454. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. S. Brown, W. Phillips-Mora, E. J. Power, C. Krol, C. Cervantes-Martinez, J. C. Motamayor, and R. J. Schnell Mapping QTLs for Resistance to Frosty Pod and Black Pod Diseases and Horticultural Traits in Theobroma cacao L. Crop Sci., September 1, 2007; 47(5): 1851 - 1858. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Vizzini, V. Antonin, and M. E. Noordeloos Crinipellis pedemontana sp. nov. (Agaricomycetes), a new basidiomycete from Italy. Mycologia, September 1, 2007; 99(5): 786 - 791. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. S. Gesteira, F. Micheli, N. Carels, A. C. Da Silva, K. P. Gramacho, I. Schuster, J. N. Macedo, G. A. G. Pereira, and J. C. M. Cascardo Comparative Analysis of Expressed Genes from Cacao Meristems Infected by Moniliophthora perniciosa Ann. Bot., July 1, 2007; 100(1): 129 - 140. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. B. Matheny, J. M. Curtis, V. Hofstetter, M. C. Aime, J.-M. Moncalvo, Z.-W. Ge, Z.-L. Yang, J. C. Slot, J. F. Ammirati, T. J. Baroni, et al. Major clades of Agaricales: a multilocus phylogenetic overview Mycologia, November 1, 2006; 98(6): 982 - 995. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]