Co-infection of Fusarium aglaonematis sp. nov. and Fusarium elaeidis Causing Stem Rot in Aglaonema modestum in China

Yunxia Zhang; Chao Chen; Zhanglong Mai; Jieying Lin; Liting Nie; Sajeewa S N Maharachchikumbura; Chunping You; Meimei Xiang; Kevin D Hyde; Ishara S Manawasinghe

doi:10.3389/fmicb.2022.930790

Co-infection of Fusarium aglaonematis sp. nov. and Fusarium elaeidis Causing Stem Rot in Aglaonema modestum in China

Front Microbiol. 2022 Jun 30:13:930790. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.930790. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Yunxia Zhang^{1

2}, Chao Chen^{1

2}, Zhanglong Mai^{1

2}, Jieying Lin^{1

2}, Liting Nie^{1

2}, Sajeewa S N Maharachchikumbura³, Chunping You^{1

2}, Meimei Xiang^{1

2}, Kevin D Hyde^{1

4}, Ishara S Manawasinghe^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Innovative Institute for Plant Health, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou, China.
² Key Laboratory of Green Prevention and Control on Fruits and Vegetables in South China, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou, China.
³ School of Life Science and Technology, Center for Informational Biology, University of Electronic Science and Technology, Chengdu, China.
⁴ Center of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Mueang, Chiang Rai, Thailand.

Abstract

Aglaonema modestum (A. modestum) (Araceae) is an evergreen herbage, which is intensively grown as an ornamental plant in South China. A new disease was observed in A. modestum from 2020 to 2021 in Guangdong province, China. The disease symptoms associated with plants were initial leaf wilt, stem rot, and resulting plant death, leading to severe economic losses. In total, six Fusarium isolates were obtained from diseased plants. The putative pathogen was identified using both morphological characteristics and molecular phylogenetic analysis of calmodulin A (cmdA), RNA polymerase largest subunit 1 (rpb1), RNA polymerase II (rpb2), translation elongation factor-1α (tef1-α), and beta-tubulin (β-tubulin) sequences. Two Fusarium species were identified, namely, one new species, Fusarium aglaonematis (F. aglaonematis) belonging to Fusarium fujikuroi species complex. In addition, Fusarium elaeidis (F. elaeidis) belonging to the Fusarium oxysporum (F. oxysporum) species complex was also identified. Pathogenicity assays were conducted by inoculating each species into potted A. modestum plants and co-inoculating two species. The results showed that two Fusarium species could infect plants independently and can infect them together. Co-infection of these two species enhanced the disease severity of A. modestum. Compared to single inoculation of F. elaeidis, severity was higher and disease development was quicker when plants were only inoculated with F. aglaonematis. In addition, these two Fusarium species could infect Aglaonema plants without wounds, while inoculation with a physical injury increased disease severity. This is the first report of co-infection by F. aglaonematis and F. elaeidis causing stem rot on A. modestum worldwide. This study will be an addition to the knowledge of Fusarium diseases in ornamental plants. These results will provide a baseline to identify and control diseases associated with A. modestum.

Keywords: Nectriaceae; Sordariomycetes; co-infection; new species; pathogenicity.