La quiescencia como estado estratégico del proceso infectivo de especies de Colletotrichum

Abstract

Colletotrichum, a genus of Ascomycota fungi with a diversity of species grouped into several species complexes, or clades, is associated with diseases known as "Anthracnose". It affects significantly different tropical and subtropical fruit species. Infections occur in the field and postharvest; quiescent stages are mainly responsible for postharvest losses. An analysis of this pre-infective stage is made based on consulted papers. The infective process is modulated by the length of the quiescent period of the fungus during the vegetative or pre-productive stages of trees. Quiescent stage is determined by the host’s biochemical responses and the pathogen’s activity. Once the pathogen is activated, it develops an infectious necrotrophic process. Colletotrichum quiescence has been studied mainly in subtropical fruits and horticultural species, and the studies highlight the role of volatile compounds, metabolites and enzymes involved in the length and breaking of quiescence, as well as the differential responses according to the phenological stage and the genotype of the plant. Transcriptomic and proteomic analysis of the host-fungus interaction have revealed the role of genes in the occurrence and breaking of quiescence. Knowledge about the quiescence of Colletotrichum in tropical fruits is necessary to improve management efficiency. Detection and induction of quiescent infections has been studied and genomics has allowed to understand the occurrence of quiescence in the infective process; however, in crops in the tropics, such as mango, an important crop in Colombia, questions about associated species and biology of their quiescence are still unanswered.