Polymorphic microsatellite markers for the banana pathogen Mycosphaerella fijiensis

Mycosphaerella fijiensis is the causative agent of Black Sigatoka disease in banana. Since its first description from the Fiji islands about 30 years ago, this ascomycete fungus has spread continuously throughout the banana-growing areas of the world, and is now considered the most devastating pathogen of this crop. Our objective is to study the population genetics of M. fijiensis within and among banana plantations. As large sample numbers have to be processed in such an investigation, a PCR-based genetic marker system would be desirable. Microsatellites are an effective and versatile class of DNA markers that have been applied to fungi only recently. Here we report the cloning and characterization of 11 polymorphic microsatellite loci from a Nigerian isolate of Mycosphaerella fijiensis.