Morphological variations, genetic diversity and pathogenicity of Colletotrichum species causing grape ripe rot in Korea

Ripe rot was frequently observed on fruits, leaves and stems of grape growing in eight locations in Korea from 2004 to 2006. All 30 isolates of Colletotrichum sp. were obtained from lesions of the ripe rot on grape plants. Out of the isolates, 19 isolates were identified as Colletotrichum acutatum and the others as Colletotrichum gloeosporioides based on morphological and cultural characteristics. Inter and intra specific variations of the Colletotrichum spp. isolates were investigated using RAPD and sequences of rDNA ITS and β-tubulin-2. Isolates of C. acutatum and C. gloeospotioides were distinctly differentiated by molecular analyses. Phylogenetic trees of ITS and β-tubulin-2 showed that Korean isolates of C. acutatum were clustered into groups A2 and A3 among the eight global groups. A2 included non-chromogenic isolates and A3 chromogenic ones. Both C. acutatum and C. gloeosporioides isolates were tested for pathogenicity to grape leaves. All isolates tested induced lesions on the leaves of grape by artificial inoculation. There was no difference in pathogenicity between C. acutatum and C. gloeosporioides isolates. This is the first report that C. acutatum except C. gloeosporioides causes grape ripe rot in Korea.