Phylogenetic relationships among some cercosporoid anamorphs of Mycosphaerella based on rDNA sequence analysis

Partial rDNA sequences were obtained from 26 isolates representing species of Cercospora, Passalora, Paracercospora, Pseudocercospora, Ramulispora, Pseudocercosporella and Mycocentrospora. The combined internal transcribed spacers (I TS) including the 5-8S rRNA gene and 5ʹ end of the 255 gene (primer pairs F63/R635) on rDNA were amplified using PCR and sequenced directly. The I TS regions including the 5-8S varied in length from 502 to 595 bp. The F63/R635 region varied from 508 to 519 bp among isolates sequenced. Reconstructed phylogenies inferred from both regions had highly similar topologies for the taxa examined. Phylogenetic analysis of the sequences resulted in four well-supported clades corresponding to Cercospora, Parncercospora/Pseudocercospora, Passalora and Ramulispora, with bootstrap values greater than 92% for each clade. Based on the results of the analysis, a new combination for Pseudocercosporella aestiva is proposed in Ramulispora, and Parncercospora is reduced to synonymy with PseudocercosApora.