Phylogeny, Distribution, and Pathogenicity of Species Associated With Cankers and Dieback Symptoms of Persian Lime in Mexico.

Persian lime ( Tan.) is an important and widely cultivated fruit crop in several regions of Mexico. In recent years, severe symptoms of gummosis, stem cankers, and dieback were detected in the Persian lime-producing region in the states of Veracruz and Puebla, Mexico. The aims of this study were to identify the species of associated with these symptoms, determine the distribution of these species, and test their pathogenicity and virulence on Persian lime plants. In 2015, symptomatic samples were collected from 12 commercial Persian lime orchards, and 60 isolates were obtained. Fungal identification of 32 representative isolates was performed using a phylogenetic analysis based on DNA sequence data of the internal transcribed spacer region and part of the translation elongation factor 1-α and β-tubulin genes. Sequence analyses were carried out using the Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian Inference methods. Six species were identified as , , , , , and . All species of this study are reported for the first time in association with Persian lime in Mexico and worldwide. (46.9% of isolates) was the most frequently isolated species followed by (28.1%) and (12.5%). Pathogenicity on Persian lime young plants using a mycelial plug inoculation method showed that all identified species were able to cause necrotic lesions and gummosis, but , , and were the most virulent.