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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Fungal Biol.
Sec. Fungi-Plant Interactions
Volume 5 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/ffunb.2024.1481865
This article is part of the Research Topic Current Perspectives on Colletotrichum: From Molecules to Ecosystems View all 5 articles

Morphological Variations and Adhesive Distribution: A Cross-Species Examination in Colletotrichum Conidia

Provisionally accepted
Caleb Oliver Bedsole Caleb Oliver Bedsole Mary Cowser Mary Cowser Timothy Martin Timothy Martin Jillian Hamilton Jillian Hamilton Lucia Gonzalez Rodriguez Lucia Gonzalez Rodriguez Thomas M Chappell Thomas M Chappell Brian D Shaw Brian D Shaw *
  • Texas A and M University, College Station, United States

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Colletotrichum is a globally significant genus of plant pathogens known for causing anthracnose across a diverse array of hosts. Notably, Colletotrichum graminicola is a pathogen affecting maize. Annually, the global economic impact of this pathogen reaches billions of US dollars. C. graminicola produces conidia that have a characteristic falcate shape and are dispersed by rain. Upon attachment to maize leaves, these conidia develop melanized appressoria to penetrate the leaf surface to initiate disease. Recent findings have emphasized the existence of an adhesive strip on only one side of C. graminicola conidia. This strip colocalizes with an actin array, playing a crucial role in facilitating attachment and germination. This asymmetrical adhesive was postulated to enhance spore dispersal by assuring that some conidia do not attach to their initial deposition site. The extent of this asymmetric adhesive phenotype in other Colletotrichum species remains unknown, raising questions about its conservation within the genus. This study reveals the ubiquitous presence of an asymmetric adhesive on the conidia across nine isolates of Colletotrichum, representing eight species.Morphological differences in conidium shape and adhesive distribution were observed. Significantly, Colletotrichum truncatum is unique from other observed species by exhibiting an adhesive strip on both sides of its conidium. Furthermore, in C. graminicola, we noted a simultaneous development of the actin array and detachment from its mother cell after spore development. We posit that the study of other Colletotrichum members holds promise in elucidating the evolutionary trajectory of this phenotype. Furthermore, these insights may prove instrumental in understanding spore dispersal dynamics across diverse hosts, shedding light on the intricate web of host specificity within the genus.

    Keywords: Colletotrichum1, Anthracnose2, Adhesive3, development4, Spore Dispersal5, Conidia6, actin7

    Received: 16 Aug 2024; Accepted: 29 Nov 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Bedsole, Cowser, Martin, Hamilton, Gonzalez Rodriguez, Chappell and Shaw. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Brian D Shaw, Texas A and M University, College Station, United States

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