Asporogenic mutants of Alternaria cassiae sp. generated by X-ray irradiation.
Year: 2009
Type: article
Abstract: The prevention of sporulation is an important factor in precluding the\nspread of transgenic biocontrol agents beyond desired limits;\nasporogenic deletion mutants could prevent such spread. Alternaria\ncassiae is a biological control agent for controlling sicklepod (\nCassia obtusifolia ) and coffee senna ( Cassia occidentalis ). The\nNEP1 transformed fungus is more virulent than the parent. A. cassiae\nforms microcolonies on 0.9 g/l sodium deoxycholate plates. The spores\nhave a D10 value of 50,000 rads when subjected to X-ray beams. Five\nputative mutants were achieved and 3 proved to revert. Mutants xAlt541\nand xAlt524 are stable with no spore-forming capability. The xAlt541\nmutant grew more slowly (4.63 cm) on yeast starch agar than xAlt524\n(5.94 cm) and the parent (5.77 cm). The mutant xAlt524 lacks aerial\nhyphae, pigmentation, and spore production. The mycelia of the parent\nfungus have rosy brown to peach puff pigment after 5 days of growth on\nmedium plus 1 g/l tyrosine, feldspar pigment on medium plus 1 g/l\nphenylalanine and appear slate gray in the absence of an amino acid\nsupplement. The xAlt524 and xAlt541 mutants had cream and dark salmon\ncolor, respectively. At 2.5 x 106 propagules/ml, mutants’ xAlt541\n(2.17a ± 0.31) and xAlt524 (2.0a ± 0.26) damage severity was\nnot statistically different from that of the parent type AltNEP1 (2.5a\n± 0.22) by 5 days postinoculation.
Author: Olubukola Oluranti Babalola
Language: English
Subfield: Insect Science
Domain: Life Sciences
SDG: Zero hunger
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W1754999128