Distinction of Sect. Strains among Other Fungi from Cereals.

Species of the genus are ubiquitous and frequently isolated from various plants, including crops. There are two phylogenetically and morphologically close sections: the relatively well-known and the rarely mentioned . Currently, the latter includes at least seven species that are less studied and sometimes misidentified. To perform precise identification, two primers (APsF and APsR) were designed and a sect. -specific PCR method was developed. Thirty-five Russian . -like strains were then examined. Five strains were found to be the members of the sect. . Additionally, specificity of the previously developed primer set (Ain3F and Ain4R) was checked. It was found to be highly specific for sect. and did not amplify sect. DNA. Identification of strains of the sect. was supported and refined by phylogenetic reconstruction based on analysis of two loci, the glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase gene (), and the plasma membrane ATPase gene (). These fungi belonged to and , which were the first detection of those taxa for the Eastern Europe. was isolated from cereal seeds and eleuthero leaves. was obtained from oat seed. All strains of sect. were not able to produce alternariol mycotoxin, as well as the majority of sect. strains.