Phylogenetic analysis of the phytopathogenic fungus Fusarium solani based on the rDNA-ITS region

The nucleotide sequence of the internal transcribed spacer region of the ribosomal RNA gene (rDNA-ITS) was obtained for strains belonging to 10 special forms (f. spp.) of the phytopathogenic fungus Fusarium solani (teleomorph Haematonectria haematococca). Phylogenetic analysis of nucleotide sequences of the rDNA-ITS region showed that most clusters were composed of strains belonging to the same special form. F. solani f. sp. eumartii and f. sp. phaseoli were excluded from the cluster composed of all other special forms. In order to use the molecular data to identify each special form, several restriction enzymes specific for each special form were selected from the mapping data. The digestion pattern of the rDNA-ITS region with these restriction enzymes was able to distinguish F. solani f. spp. phaseoli, cucurbitae race 1, batatas, piperis, eumartii, and xanthoxyli. Although f. spp. mori, robiniae and pisi were not differentiated by restriction analysis, they were separated in the phylogenetic tree.