A New Locality Record for Cancer Stain of Plane Agent Ceratocystis platani in Türkiye
2024
Beram, Refika Ceyda | Akyol, Sultan
Ceratocystis platani is an invasive fungus that causes the disease known as “canker stain of plane”. The disease, caused by the pathogen, is also known as “plane tree cancer” or plane tree wilting. This nonnative pathogenic organism is able to overcome geographical barriers due to factors such as international trade and human activities, posing a serious threat to ecosystem health by reaching new environments. This agent is an aggressive wound pathogen specialized in Platanus species. Growing in the xylem, it leads to the blockage of vascular bundles, thereby causing the tree to die rapidly. This fungus is also subject to serious quarantine measures and has been recognized as a quarantine organism by the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization (EPPO). In the eastern United States, California, and southern Europe, tens of thousands of trees have died due to this vascular wilt disease in both urban and rural areas. To date, it has been reported in Europe in Albania, Armenia, France, Greece, Italy, Switzerland, and Türkiye-Istanbul. In this study, the presence of C. platani was recorded for the first time in the Platanus orientalis in Denizli province, Türkiye. The presence of the fungus was identified using Taqman probe-based Real-time PCR on wood samples obtained from a fallen plane tree in the city center due to wind. Subsequently, isolations of the fungus were performed using the carrot inoculation method and aquarium trap methods. After the isolates were morphologically characterized, molecular characterization studies were carried out using the ITS region (internal transcribed spacer). BLAST analysis of the ITS sequence confirmed the identification of the isolates by showing 99-100% similarity to previously reported C. platani sequences.
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