Genetic and Pathogenic Variability of Ascochyta rabiei Isolates from Pakistan and Syria as Detected by Universal Rice Primers

Nayyer Iqbal

doi:10.4172/2157-7471.1000212

Abstract

Ascochyta rabiei is the casual agent of blight disease of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.). The study was aimed to assess the genetic diversity of highly aggressive Ascochyta rabiei (AR) isolates (pathotypes III and IV) from Syria and its comparison with highly aggressive isolates from Pakistan. AR isolates were characterized for pathogenicity assay and genetic variability. Previously genetic variability of AR isolates have been checked with RAPD and SSR markers, here we are reporting for the first time diversity using ten Universal rice primers (URP) derived from the repeat sequence of rice genome. URP proved very useful for the characterization of isolates and clearly differentiated Syrian pathotypes from Pakistani ones. URP can be helpful in studying the population variability from AR pathotypes worldwide.

Highlights

Blight disease in chickpea is caused by a fungus that exists both in sexual (Didymella rabiei) and asexual stages (Ascochyta rabiei) [1]
Out of 18 isolates tested, PAR 4 was found to be pathotype I based on its susceptible reaction on Spanish white only but did not cause any disease symptoms on Dwelley and ICC12004. 17 isolates showed virulence on Dwelley and ICC12004
Group 1 comprised of least aggressive pathotype I (PAR 4) that out grouped singly

Summary

Introduction

Blight disease in chickpea is caused by a fungus that exists both in sexual (Didymella rabiei) and asexual stages (Ascochyta rabiei) [1]. Differentiation of Ascochyta rabiei (AR) into 3 classes (pathotype I, II and III) was reported in Syria and has been widely accepted [3] and recently highly aggressive pathotype IV has been reported by Imtiaz et al [4]. In Pakistan three pathotypes were identified by Jamil et al [5] and Ali et al [6] using chickpea differential genotypes (ILC1929, ILC482 and ILC3279) and (Spanish white, Dwelley and ICC12004) respectively.

Results

Conclusion