Author(s)

Olumayowa Mary Olowe, Adeboyega Christopher Odebode, Odunayo Joseph Olawuyi, Ayodele Adegboyega Sobowale

Department of Botany, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.

This study investigated the characterisation of Fusarium verticillioides strains using Amplified Fragments Length Polymorphism (AFLP) EcoR1-G/Mse1-C primer combination. This was done to determine the amount of genetic variability present in F. verticillioides population. The objective of this study is to carry out molecular characterization of F. verticillioides strains from infected ear of maize. Six isolates were obtained in maize ear from 10 locations in three agro-ecological zones of Southwest Nigeria. Polymorphic bands detected were 164 from one base extension of EcoR1 and Mse1 primers in the selective amplification. Primer combination EC + MC produced the highest polymorphic bands of 58, while primer combination ET + MC had the highest percentage polymorphism (100%). Genetic similarity (67%) was observed among strains from Ibadan (IBD) (34, 36), Igbooho (IGH) (39), Ado-Ekiti (EKT) (46, 47), Saki (SAK) (52) and Igboora (IGB) (57, 58, 59 and 60). Strains 19 and 20 from Ilesha (ILH) had the highest pairwise similarity coefficient at 97% grouped in cluster II. The dendrogram delineated F. verticillioides strains into four major cluster groups with 77% similarity and other sub-groups within. Fusarium verticillioides strains could therefore be heterogeneous, and thus amplified fragment length polymorphism is an ideal tool for distinguishing the pathogenic variants of Fusarium verticillioides.

Fusarium verticillioides, Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism, Southwest Nigeria, Maize

Mary Olowe, O. , Christopher Odebode, A. , Joseph Olawuyi, O. and Sobowale, A. (2017) Molecular Variability of Fusarium verticillioides (Sacc.) in Maize from Three Agro-Ecological Zones of Southwest Nigeria. American Journal of Molecular Biology, 7, 30-40. doi: 10.4236/ajmb.2017.71003.