A reappraisal of the Pyriculariaceae in Iran

The family Magnaporthaceae considered as a single-family placed in the order Magnaporthales. Currently, three distinct clades are phylogenetically distinguished in this order that one is referred as the Pyriculariaceae. The Pyriculariaceae is characterized as a novel family having new genera, new species, new combinations and neotypification (basionym). To taxonomically evaluate this family, an extensive sampling of several host plants including rice, corn, sorghum, barley and wheat cultivation regions, tea, citrus orchards and forests in the south of Caspian coast from Astara in Guilan Province to Gonbad-e Qabus in Golestan Province, Iran, was conducted for 2 consecutive years One hundred thirty isolates were obtained from the collected samples showing symptoms of the blast and leaf spot. Morphological characteristics such as shape, color, and the size of conidia and conidiophores and colony color were determined. In order to phylogenetically investigate the gained isolates, the ITS region of ribosomal DNA, DNA replication licensing factor (MCM7) and calmodulin (CAL) genes were utilized as a phylogenetic marker. Three major clades were recognized in the phylogenetic tree constructed based on the ITS and MCM7 regions. The first clade belongs to the Pyriculariaceae family containing two subclades. Moreover, the Pyriculariaceae clade has two subclades generated based on the analysis of the CAL gene.