Genetic diversity of the banana Fusarium wilt pathogen in Cuba and across Latin America and the Caribbean

• Published in: Environmental microbiology 2024-05, Vol.26 (5), p.e16636-n/a
• Main Authors: Martínez‐de la Parte, Einar, Pérez‐Vicente, Luis, Torres, David E., Westerhoven, Anouk, Meijer, Harold J. G., Seidl, Michael F., Kema, Gert H. J.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Bananas; Caribbean Region; Cuba; Cultivation; Fruit cultivation; Fruits; Fusarium; Fusarium - classification; Fusarium - genetics; Fusarium - isolation & purification; Fusarium - pathogenicity; Fusarium oxysporum; Gene sequencing; Genetic diversity; Genetic structure; Genetic Variation; Genomes; Genotyping; Latin America; Musa - microbiology; Pathogens; Phylogenetics; Phylogeny; Plant diseases; Plant Diseases - microbiology; Population genetics; Signs and symptoms; Species diversity; Subgroups; Wilt
• ISSN: 1462-2912; 1462-2920
• DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16636

Fusarium wilt of bananas (FWB) is a severe plant disease that leads to substantial losses in banana production worldwide. It remains a major concern for Cuban banana cultivation. The disease is caused by members of the soil‐borne Fusarium oxysporum species complex. However, the genetic diversity among Fusarium species infecting bananas in Cuba has remained largely unexplored. In our comprehensive survey, we examined symptomatic banana plants across all production zones in the country, collecting 170 Fusarium isolates. Leveraging genotyping‐by‐sequencing and whole‐genome comparisons, we investigated the genetic diversity within these isolates and compared it with a global Fusarium panel. Notably, typical FWB symptoms were observed in Bluggoe cooking bananas and Pisang Awak subgroups across 14 provinces. Our phylogenetic analysis revealed that F. purpurascens, F. phialophorum, and F. tardichlamydosporum are responsible for FWB in Cuba, with F. tardichlamydosporum dominating the population. Furthermore, we identified between five and seven distinct genetic clusters, with F. tardichlamydosporum isolates forming at least two subgroups. This finding underscores the high genetic diversity of Fusarium spp. contributing to FWB in the Americas. Our study sheds light on the population genetic structure and diversity of the FWB pathogen in Cuba and the broader Latin American and Caribbean regions. Our comprehensive survey investigated the Fusarium wilt of bananas (FWB) across all production zones in Cuba, resulting in a collection of 170 Fusarium isolates. By employing genotyping‐by‐sequencing and whole‐genome comparisons, we identified F. purpurascens, F. phialophorum, and F. tardichlamydosporum as the causal agents of FWB in Cuba. Notably, F. tardichlamydosporum exhibits high genetic diversity, forming at least two distinct subgroups within five to seven genetic clusters in the regional landscape. This study sheds light on the population genetic structure and diversity of the FWB pathogen in Cuba and the broader Latin American and Caribbean regions.