Diversity, prevalence and phylogenetic positioning of Botrytis species in Brazil

Botrytis is a necrotrophic fungal genus of great economic importance worldwide. Together, the Botrytis species are able to infect over one thousand host plant species, including dicotyledons and monocotyledons. As the identification of Botrytis species in Brazil has mostly been based only on morphological characterization and comparisons of the rDNA ITS region, which is not informative in the genus, its diversity remains unknown. Thus, in this study we determined the diversity and prevalence of Botrytis spp. in Brazil by multilocus phylogeny. Phylogenetic reconstruction of the genus was performed using the nuclear genes glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (G3PDH), heat-shock protein 60 (HSP60) and RNA polymerase II second largest subunit (RPB2). From analyses of 56 Botrytis isolates obtained from different hosts and geographical regions in Brazil, we found that Botrytis cinerea is the most prevalent species with considerable intraspecific genetic diversity detected by nuclear genes. Two new hosts to B. cinerea and eight host never previously reported in Brazil were found. We also reported for the first time the occurrence of Botrytis pseudocinerea associated with Acca sellowiana (Myrtaceae). Due to the new phylogenetic positioning of Botrytis pelargonii and Botrytis eucalypti, a taxonomic review of these species was suggested.