Morphological and molecular identification of phaeoacremonium aleophilum associated with grapevines decline phenomenon in Duhok Governorate

Abstract EN

Decline symptoms on grapevine included plants that failed to thrive normal with reducing shoot growth and chloratic interveinal areas that later became necrotic.

In a cross section of grapevine arms, the internal wood tissue were frequently dark brown to black with a wedgeshaped necrotic sectors.

Phaeoacremonium aleophilum was isolated from infected tissues of declined plants in pure culture and identified on the basis of its morphological and cultural characteristics.

For accurate identification of P.

aleophilum the PCR technique was employed.

Ten isolates were selected from different locations.

These isolates were subjected to specific PCR assay.

The specific primers for P.

aleophilum were used to amplify the ITS region of nuclear ribosomal DNA (rDNA) containing ITS1, ITS2 and the intervening 5.8 rRNA genes.

PCR results obtained from Phaeoacremonium isolates indicated that only three isolates were related to P.

aleophilum.

The remaining isolates may represent different species of Phaeoacremonium.

P.

aleophilum is reported for the first time in Iraq.