Phylogenetic diversity of Fusarium incarnatum-equiseti species complex isolated from Spanish wheat.

Wheat is the most important cereal grown in the European Union and Spain is its fifth largest wheat producer. There is little information about Fusarium species associated with wheat in Spain. Phylogenetic diversity of 51 strains belonging to Fusarium incarnatum-equiseti species complex (FIESC) isolated from Spanish wheat was investigated using partial sequences of the translation elongation factor gene (EF-1α). Maximum-parsimony and Bayesian analysis of aligned DNA sequences resolved 18 haplotypes and 7 phylogenetic species. Strains morphologically identified as F. equiseti belonged to two different phylogenetic species, FIESC-5 and FIESC-14. Some correlation between phylogenetic species and geographical region was found. The present results highlight the potential contribution of FIESC to the mycotoxin contamination of Spanish wheat.