Comparing vegetative compatibility and protein banding patterns for identification of Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. apii race 2

Abstract

Vegetative compatibility grouping and electrophoretic separation of total proteins were compared as possible techniques for identifying isolates of Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. apii race 2, the cause of fusarium yellows of celery. Vegetative compatibility grouping was determined by pairing chlorate-tolerant, nitrate-nonutilizing mutants on a minimal medium containing nitrate as the sole nitrogen source. Heterokaryon formation, which resulted in wild-type growth, occurred only between mutants from vegetatively compatible isolates. All isolates of F. oxysporum f.sp. apii race 2 examined were placed within a unique vegetative compatibility group that excluded F. oxysporum f.sp. apii race 1 and the 11 other formae speciales of F. oxysporum tested. Few differences were observed in protein banding patterns among isolates of F. oxysporum f.sp. apii race 2, F. oxysporum f.sp. apii race 1, 11 other formae speciales of F. oxysporum, and 2 formae speciales of F. solani on 12% polyacrylamide gels. No banding pattern unique to F. oxysporum f.sp. apii race 2 was observed. Vegetative compatibility grouping could be accomplished more rapidly than greenhouse pathogenicity tests and more accurately identified race 2 isolates in a population of isolates of F. oxysporum from muck soils than did greenhouse pathogenicity tests or electrophoretic protein banding patterns. Key words: celery, fusarium yellows, nitrate-nonutilizing mutants, polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.