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Genetics

A Method for Genetic Analysis of Glomerella graminicola (Colletotrichum graminicola) from Maize. Lisa J. Vaillancourt, Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907; Robert M. Hanau, Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907. Phytopathology 81:530-534. Accepted for publication 7 December 1990. Copyright 1991 The American Phytopathological Society. DOI: 10.1094/Phyto-81-530.

Strains derived from nine different isolates of Colletotrichum graminicola from maize participated in the production of perithecia when incubated on pieces of autoclaved corn leaves in a humidity chamber. Matings occurred between self-fertile and self-sterile strains, and also between certain self-sterile strains. As many as 200 ascospore progeny were recovered easily from individual perithecia. Characterization of progeny showed that sexual recombination and Mendelian segregation of distinct traits could be detected. Segregation of markers for chlorate resistance (Chl^R), benomyl resistance (Bml^R), and melanin deficiency (Mel^–) approximated a 1:1 ratio and defined three separate linkage groups. Crosses involving a pyrimidine auxotroph (Pyr^–) showed 2:1 segregation (Pyr⁺:Pyr^–) and linkage between markers for Pyr^– and Chl^R. Attempts to combine multiple markers resulted in successful construction of a Mel^– Pyr^– self-fertile strain that was crossed with a Bml^R strain to produce offspring with a triple-mutant Mel^– Pyr^– Bml^R phenotype.