DNA-based characterization of wood-, butt- and root-rot fungi from the western Pacific Islands

Abstract

Although the islands of the western Pacific comprise a hotspot of species, including fungi, a large number of these species have not been catalogued or documented in the scientific literature on an island to island basis. Butt- and root-rot fungi were collected from infected wood and fruiting bodies of diverse tropical trees from forest, agricultural, and urban sites during an outreach/survey trip to USA-affiliated islands in the western Pacific including Palau, Yap, Guam, Saipan, Pohnpei, and Kosrae (Figure 1). Collections focused on the aggressive brown root-rot pathogen, Phellinus noxius (Figure 2), although other collections were made when possible. These fungi were subsequently cultured from fruiting bodies (e.g. Figure 3) or infected wood. DNA of each cultured isolate was extracted and partial sequences of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS1-5.8S-ITS2) region (hereafter ITS) were amplified with PCR at the Moscow Forestry Sciences Laboratory (USDA Forest Service-Rocky Mountain Research Station).

Citation

Ashiglar, Sara M.; Cannon, Phil G.; Schlub, Robert L.; Kim, Mee-Sook; Ota, Yuko; Sahashi, Norio; Klopfenstein, Ned B. 2015. DNA-based characterization of wood-, butt- and root-rot fungi from the western Pacific Islands. In: Murray, Michael; Palacios, Patsy, comps. Proceedings of the 62nd annual Western International Forest Disease Work Conference; September 8-12, 2014; Cedar City, Utah. p. 41-44.