Genetic diversity among different isolates of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum in North Iran

Abstract

Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (Lib.) de Bary is a cosmopolitan, homothallic fungus, and is the most important
causal agent of stem rot diseases in field crops of Iran. During 2011-2012, a total of 52 isolates of the fungus
were collected from infected rapeseed plants (Brassica napus cultivar Hiola 401) from several fields of
Northern Iran. The genetic diversity of S.sclerotiorum populations were assessed using Simple Sequence
Repeat fingerprinting (SSR). By using five SSR primers, 27 haploid groups with 14 alleles polymorphism
were detected. A high level of genetic diversity 52% was observed between isolates. The results showed that
there were possibly high rates of out crossing, as well as, evolutionary potential within 52 isolates obtained
from different geographical locations. The variability found within closely related isolates demonstrates the
effectiveness of SSR marker in identifying genetic diversity. This is the first report on genetical diversity in S.
sclerotiorum populations in Mazandaran province in Northern Iran.