In: Sydowia 76, (2024): 225-230; ISSN 0082-0598, DOI 10.12905/0380.sydowia76-2024-0225 Published online on July 24, 2024

Pleurovularia polliniae, a biotrophic leaf parasite of Microstegium, belongs to Mycosphaerellaceae, as proven by molecular-phylogenetic analyses

In-Young Choi, Lamiya Abasova, Joon-Ho Choi, Young-Joon Choi, Ji-Hyun Park & Hyeon-Dong Shin.*

1 Department of Agricultural Biology, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju 54896, Korea
2 Research Center for Plant Medicine, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju 54896, Korea
3 Department of Biological Science, Kunsan National University, Gunsan 54150, Korea
4 Department of Forestry, Environment, and Systems, Kookmin University, Seoul 02707, Korea
5 Division of Environmental Science and Ecological Engineering, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Korea
* e-mail: hdshin@korea.ac.kr

Choi I.Y., Abasova L., Choi J.H., Choi Y.J., Park J.H. & Shin H.D. (2024) Pleurovularia polliniae, a biotrophic leaf parasite of
Microstegium, belongs to Mycosphaerellaceae, as proven by molecular-phylogenetic analyses. Sydowia 76: 225–230.

Pleurovularia polliniae, a member of Mycosphaerellaceae, is an obligate biotrophic fungus associated with downy mildewlike
leaf mold symptoms on leaves of Microstegium vimineum. However, the taxonomic position of this fungal species in Mycosphaerellaceae
was so far only tentative, mainly because of the lack of available sequence data. Based on results of molecular
phylogenetic analyses obtained from a combined dataset of the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS), large subunit (LSU), and
DNA-directed RNA polymerase II second-largest subunit (rpb2) genes of rDNA, it was possible to prove that the genus Pleurovularia
belongs to the family Mycosphaerellaceae. This is the second report of sequences obtained from a biotrophic member of
this family, following that of Polythrincium trifolii.

Keywords: nonculturable fungi, obligate parasite, phytopathogen, Pollinia, Polythrincium.