Host matrix has major impact on the morphology of Pseudoperonospora cubensis

Abstract

Oomycetes contain some of the economically most important pathogens of flowering plants. Most have a rather narrow host range, often being restricted to single host species. In downy mildews and other obligate biotrophic plant parasites, like powdery mildews and rusts, delimitating species on grounds of morphological characteristics is often hardly possible and thus often based on only subtle differences. This has led to the widespread application of a broad species concept for these organisms. Consequently, despite the fact that morphological differences were reported for Pseudoperonospora cubensis from different host species, the corresponding new pathogen species were not accepted as being independent, and the host range of Pseudoperonospora cubensis is reported to encompass more than 50 host species in the Cucurbitaceae in temperate to tropical climates. However, recent studies have reported narrow host ranges for other downy mildew genera and advocated a narrow species concept. Here, we report successful colonisation of five different tribes of the Cucurbitaceae by a strain of Pseudoperonospora cubensis and demonstrate that the host matrix has a major impact on the morphology of the pathogen. On the basis of five morphological criteria significant differences could be found for all hosts. These differences were more pronounced in phylogenetically unrelated than in related hosts. Our results provide evidence for a broad host range of Pseudoperonospora cubensis and demonstrate that species delimitation based on morphological characters is not feasible in Pseudoperonospora on Cucurbitaceae. Also in other biotrophic plant pathogens, the situation could be similar, thus necessitating thorough morphological, molecular phylogenetic and cross inoculation experiments for species recognition.