A new hybrid of Phytophthora from Southeast Europe

During an investigation of rivers in Bulgaria, an isolate of Phytophthora (RLKam2016/61c) was recovered and initially identified as Phytophthora sansomeana based on internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) sequence data. However, the sequencing of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (cox1) gene revealed high similarity to Phytophthora sp. kelmania, and sequencing of other nuclear regions (β-tubulin [Btub] and translation elongation factor 1-alpha [tef1]) revealed a significant number of polymorphisms, indicating a possible hybridization event. Additional cloning and sequencing of the nuclear ITS and Btub regions showed the presence of two distinct groups of alleles, one of which was highly similar to P. sansomeana, whereas the other was similar to a species complex that includes Phytophthora sp. kelmania. Therefore, the new hybrid was named Phytophthora × sansomeana. It is characterized by fast growth on V8 juice agar (V8A) and carrot agar (CA), moderate aerial mycelium with radiate pattern of the colonies and relatively slower growth rate on malt extract agar (MEA) and potato dextrose agar (PDA), and petaloid to rosaceous pattern of the colonies with fluffy aerial mycelium. The optimum growth temperature for P. × sansomeana was at 25 C, with an average growth rate of 9 mm per day. Abundant sporangium formation of the isolate in spring water was observed, but the hybrid was sterile in culture. Pathogenicity analyses of the hybrid were conducted in comparison with the most closely related subclade 8a species from our collection, P. pseudocryptogea. The inhibition effect on the root growth of young seedlings of two legumes, common pea and vetch, as well as on cuttings of the ornamental plant coleus induced by both phytopathogens was significant. No effect of either the new hybrid or P. pseudocryptogea on the growth of maize seedlings was observed.