BOTH MAT1-1 AND MAT1-2 MATING TYPES OF MYCOSPHAERELLA GRAMINICOLA OCCUR AT EQUAL FREQUENCIES IN ALGERIA.

Septoria tritici blotch caused by Mycosphaerella graminicola is currently the most devastating disease on wheat crops worldwide. Mycosphaerella graminicola sexual reproduction involves two mating type idiomorphs that were previously studied in several areas around the world, but not in Algeria so far. The objective of this study was thus to determine the frequencies and distribution of M. graminicola mating types in this country. One hundred and twenty monoconidial isolates of this fungus (60 from bread wheat and 60 from durum wheat) were collected during the 2012 growing season from five distinct geographical locations in Algeria. The mating type of each isolate was identified using a multiplex PCR that amplifies either MAT1-1 or MAT1-2 fragment from mating type loci. Both idiomorphs were found at equal frequencies according to the chi-square test at the whole country level (46% MAT1-1 and 54% MAT1-2) and in each of the sampled locations. The two mating types were also detected at equal frequencies on both host species (47% MAT1-1 vs 53% MAT1-2 on bread wheat and 45% MAT1-1 vs 55% MAT1-2 on durum wheat). Our study showed that the two mating types of M. graminicola occur at equal proportions in Algeria and suggests a strong potential for sexual reproduction of the pathogen in this country that may eventually lead to either adaptation to local conditions, plant resistance overcoming or the emergence of resistance to fungicides.