Variation in genotype, pathotype and anastomosis groups of Colletotrichum lindemuthianum isolates from Mexico

Patterns of variation were determined in anastomosis, pathotype and genotype of Colletotrichum lindemuthianum samples collected from individual plants of common bean cultivars from four locations in the Mexican highlands. In Chihuahua, 22 polymorphic AFLP bands in isolates taken from a single plant identified five distinct genotypes. In Michoacan, nine genotypes were identified based on a total of only six polymorphic bands. Combined cluster analysis of all isolates from individual plants grouped them geographically. In Chihuahua, in isolates from 16 individual plants, only nine genotypes were identified and all samples were found to belong to the same anastomosis group. However, analysis of selected isolates revealed two new pathotypes not reported previously from Chihuahua (races 449 and 467). In contrast, in Michoacan all 13 isolates from individual plants were found to have distinct genotypes, and in Mexico State only two pairs of isolates among 20 samples had identical genotypes. Although no pathotype variation was determined, five anastomosis groups were identified in Michoacan and three in Mexico State. These results suggest that patterns of variation in genotype and anastomosis groups are complex in the different locations sampled, and that no strong relationship exists between genotype, pathotype or anastomosis group.