available online at www.studiesinmycology.org STUDIES IN MYCOLOGY ▪:1–36. Resolving the polyphyletic nature of Pyricularia (Pyriculariaceae) S. Klaubauf1,2, D. Tharreau3, E. Fournier4, J.Z. Groenewald1, P.W. Crous1,5,6*, R.P. de Vries1,2, and M.-H. Lebrun7* 1CBS-KNAW Fungal Biodiversity Centre, 3584 CT Utrecht, The Netherlands; 2Fungal Molecular Physiology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands; 3UMR BGPI, CIRAD, Campus International de Baillarguet, F-34398 Montpellier, France; 4UMR BGPI, INRA, Campus International de Baillarguet, F-34398 Montpellier, France; 5Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa; 6Wageningen University and Research Centre (WUR), Laboratory of Phytopathology, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands; 7UR1290 INRA BIOGER-CPP, Campus AgroParisTech, F-78850 Thiverval-Grignon, France *Correspondence: P.W. Crous,
[email protected]; M.-H. Lebrun,
[email protected] Abstract: Species of Pyricularia (magnaporthe-like sexual morphs) are responsible for major diseases on grasses. Pyricularia oryzae (sexual morph Magnaporthe oryzae) is responsible for the major disease of rice called rice blast disease, and foliar diseases of wheat and millet, while Pyricularia grisea (sexual morph Magnaporthe grisea) is responsible for foliar diseases of Digitaria. Magnaporthe salvinii, M. poae and M. rhizophila produce asexual spores that differ from those of Pyricularia sensu stricto that has pyriform, 2-septate conidia produced on conidiophores with sympodial proliferation. Magnaporthe salvinii was recently allocated to Nakataea, while M. poae and M. rhizophila were placed in Magnaporthiopsis. To clarify the taxonomic relationships among species that are magnaporthe- or pyricularia-like in morphology, we analysed phylogenetic relationships among isolates representing a wide range of host plants by using partial DNA sequences of multiple genes such as LSU, ITS, RPB1, actin and calmodulin.