What are the characteristics of Alternaria?

What are the characteristics of Alternaria?

A pale or dark brown conidiophore that may be straight or flexuous in appearance. Brownish conidia with a short beak or no beak at all. Conidia with a smooth surface (or a little warty)

How do you identify Alternaria?

The identification of Alternaria species requires a combination of morphological features and molecular methods. Morphological features such as conidial shape, size of primary conidium, conidial branching arrangement and primary conidiosphore length were used in the identification by Simmons and Roberts (1993).

What is habitat of Alternaria?

Habitat/Ecology. Alternaria spp. are cosmopolitan dematiaceous fungi commonly isolated from plants, soil, food and indoor air environment. Alternaria species are known as major plant pathogens {1635; 725} and saprophytes on many substrates {816; 1056; 3729; 725}.

What is the common name of Alternaria?

Pictures

Title Symptoms
Caption Alternaria alternata (alternaria leaf spot); on Gold sweet cherry. Note flattened, wrinkled lesions on fruit.
Copyright ©Alan L. Jones

Does Alternaria belongs to deuteromycetes?

Alternaria is a genus of Deuteromycetes fungi. Alternaria species are known as major plant pathogens.

Which type of spores are reported in Alternaria?

Spores of Alternaria can be formed singly, but most often in chains. They are typically club-shaped and are highly septate, having divisions in both vertical and horizontal directions. The spore surfaces are usually smooth, but may have small rounded warts creating a slightly rough surface.

What causes Alternaria?

Alternaria is potentially caused by three pathogens: Alternaria brassicicola, A. brassicae, and A. raphani.

What is target board effect?

The circular to angular spots enlarge until they are 1/4 to 1/2 inch in diameter and soon develop dark, concentric rings or ridges, producing a “target-board” effect. Affected leaves develop yellow areas around the lesions. Spotted leaves soon turn yellow, wither, and drop off.

Where did Alternaria originate?

Alternaria alternata is a ubiquitous saprophyte that is found in the soil and on plants, especially on decaying vegetation. Therefore, Alternaria antigen levels likely reflect the abundance of local vegetation.

How do Alternaria reproduce?

 Reproduction – Alternaria has no sexual or perfect stage. They multiply asexually by the method of Sporulation. exogenously are the conidia. The conidia are produced at the tips of ordinary hyphae which are comparatively short and dark coloured, termed as conidiophores .

Is Alternaria Ascomycetes or deuteromycetes?

Alternaria is a genus of Deuteromycetes fungi.

Is Alternaria a yeast?

What is Alternaria?

Alternaria is a genus of Deuteromycetes fungi. Alternaria species are known as major plant pathogens. They are also common allergens in humans, growing indoors and causing hay fever or hypersensitivity reactions that sometimes lead to asthma.

Do Alternaria grow in cold weather?

Alternaria spp. continue to develop in several vegetables stored at refrigeration temperatures or in certain apple cultivars stored at 0 C or below. Fruits and vegetables subjected to cold stress are more sensitive to disease initiation. Optimal Alternaria growth occurs at pH 4 – 5.4.

How do Alternaria affect the environment?

Alternaria species naturally contaminate the aerial parts of plants and are easily isolated from decay matter. Some species are phytopathogens that cause plant diseases in the fi eld, and others are able to colonize ripening crops as opportunistic saprophytes causing spoilage of crops after harvest and during storage.

Is Alternaria arborescens polyphyletic?

Some species have also been reported as endophytic microorganisms with highly bioactive metabolites. The genus is now known to be polyphyletic. A 28-year-old man with alternariosis in his tibia caused by Alternaria arborescens and electron micrograph of his skin.