ITS-RFLP and ITS sequence analysis of a foliar endophytic Phyllosticta from different tropical trees.

Different isolates of a foliar endophytic species of Phyllosticta were isolated from different tropical tree species in India to examine genetic variation among the isolates. Internal transcribed spacer-restriction fragment length polymorphism (ITS-RFLP) analysis did not detect any variation among the isolates, suggesting that they all belong to the same species. Sequence data of the ITS region of ribosomal DNA (ITS1 and ITS2, including 5.8S rDNA) supported the identity of the present fungal isolates as P. capitalensis. These results show that P. capitalensis (teleomorph Guignardia endophyllicola?) is an ubiquitous foliar endophyte that can infect tree hosts from different families and habitats.