Abstract
SummaryDothistroma septosporum is one of the most damaging fungi‐attacking pines wherever they are grown. Specific symptoms on pine include the formation of red bands on needles and the appearance of which is attributed to dothistromin, a toxin produced by this pathogen. Many reports have suggested that such red bands do not appear in all infections, although the cause of this phenomenon is unclear. When grown in vitro, some strains of D. septosporum cause an intense blue, rather than red, coloration of the medium. This study presents results of experiments designed to determine the effects of culture conditions on growth of D. septosporum in vitro and the accompanying coloration of the medium. Growth of D. septosporum is characterized by slow mycelial extension and high morphological diversity in all culture conditions. The most rapid growth occurred at 20°C and on a medium at pH 6. Colour of the secreted pigment was not a consistent feature of a given fungal isolate, but depended on temperature and pH of the medium, along with a significant interaction among these factors. Lower temperature and lower pH favoured the production of the blue pigment. Moreover, pigmentation around the D. septosporum colonies was affected by other fungi inhabiting the same ecological niche. These results are discussed in terms of the possible reasons for the failure to produce the characteristic red banding symptoms on needles infected by D. septosporum in some in vivo situations.
Published Version
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