Annals of Applied Biology (2012) 160, 298-307

Mikko T. Lehtonen, Eeva M. Marttinen, Motomu Akita and Jari P.T. Valkonen (2012)
Fungi infecting cultivated moss can also cause diseases in crop plants
Annals of Applied Biology 160 (3), 298-307
Abstract: Bryophytes (mosses) are non-vascular plants inhabited by a large number of fungal species, but whether mosses can act as reservoirs of fungal pathogens of crop plants has gained little attention. A few moss species including the Sunagoke moss (Racomitrium japonicum; family Grimmiaceae) are found to have modern economical applications in uses such as greening of urban environments. In a previous study, we identified fungi causing symptoms of varying severity in the commercially grown Sunagoke moss. The aim of this study was to test whether the same fungal isolates are pathogenic to vascular plants. An isolate of Fusarium avenaceum lethal to the Sunagoke moss caused root and crown rot in barley (Hordeum vulgare) and reduced germination of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and carrot (Daucus carota) grown in the infested soil. An isolate of Cladosporium oxysporum causing mild symptoms in moss reduced growth and caused reddening and premature death of carrot seedlings. On the other hand, isolates of Alternaria alternata and Fusarium oxysporum lethal to the Sunagoke moss caused no detectable symptoms in any tested vascular plant, suggesting specialisation of these isolates to moss. Chloroplast repositioning was observed in the neighbouring cells towards the initially infected cell following infection with F. avenaceum and A. alternata in Physcomitrella patens (family Funariaceae), a model moss used to study microscopic symptoms. Infection of P. patens with a non-virulent Apiospora montagnei isolate induced formation of papillae in the moss cells, indicating activation of host defence as described in vascular plants. Results suggest that mosses and vascular plants may be linked by a common microbial interface constituted by pathogenic fungi. The findings have epidemiological implications that have gained little previous attention.
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Database assignments for author(s): Jari P.T. Valkonen

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
environment - cropping system/rotation
general biology - morphology - evolution

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Alternaria alternata
	Fusarium avenaceum	Barley (Hordeum vulgare)
	Fusarium avenaceum	Carrot (Daucus carota)
	Fusarium avenaceum	Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum)
	Cladosporium oxysporum	Carrot (Daucus carota)