Find in Library

Macrofungi belonging to the family “Polyporaceae” in the phylum Basidiomycota are among the commonplace causal agents of plant diseases. In the present study, we reported the molecular characterization of a macrofungi basidiomycetous brown-rot fungal phytopathogen Fomitopsisstrain MM4. The fungal phytopatho-gen was identified and molecularly characterized from the infected stem and tissue of oil palm (Elaeisguineensis) in Kulai, Johor. The 18S rRNA nucleotide sequence of the fungal pathogen strain MM4 showed 99% similarity with partial sequences of Antrodiaserialismaintained in the NCBI genebank database. The multiple se-quence alignment and phylogenetic analysis revealed that the fungus clustered into a single branch of a phylogenetic tree; hence the fungus was designated as Fom-itopsismeliaestrain MM4. The pathogenicity test revealed significant differences (p ≤ 0.05) in disease severity caused by the characterized basidiomycetous brown-rot F. meliaefungal pathogen on oil palm seedlings. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of 18S rRNA F. meliaeBasidiomycota brown-rot fungi in-fecting oil palm (Elaeisguineensis). The findings of this study thus support the diversity of pathogenic macrofungi affecting oil palm trees in Malaysia.