Characterization of the Exo-Metabolome of the Emergent Phytopathogen sp. nov., a Causal Agent of Dieback.

is the fungal symbiont associated with the ambrosia beetle , a plague complex that attacks avocado, among other hosts, causing a disease named dieback (FD). However, the contribution of to the establishment of this disease remains unknown. To advance the understanding of pathogenicity, we profiled its exo-metabolome through metabolomics tools based on accurate mass spectrometry. We found that can produce several key metabolites with phytotoxicity properties and other compounds with unknown functions. Among the metabolites identified in the fungal exo-metabolome, fusaric acid (FA) was further studied due to its phytotoxicity and relevance as a virulence factor. We tested both FA and organic extracts from at various dilutions in avocado foliar tissue and found that they caused necrosis and chlorosis, resembling symptoms similar to those observed in FD. This study reports for first-time insights regarding associated with its virulence, which could lead to the potential development of diagnostic and management tools of FD disease and provides a basis for understanding the interaction of with its host plants.