Occurrence of Moniliophthora perniciosa on unidentified wood debris in the Southwestern Brazilian Amazon

ABSTRACT Moniliophthora perniciosa, a basidiomycete fungus, has multiple hosts and has been identified as a significant pathogen affecting cacao and cupuassu trees in Brazil. In this study, M. perniciosa was detected on unidentified wood debris in the Parque Estadual Chandless (PEC), located in the state of Acre in northern Brazil. To provide more information about this fungus in Acre, it was characterized both micro and macro-morphologically, and molecularly identified based on two DNA regions: ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and ribosomal large subunit (LSU). The phylogenetic and morphological analysis of the collected fungal isolates PEC11 and PECT1 revealed that both belonged to species M. perniciosa and shared similarities with fungal isolates from the host Heteropterys acutifolia. This constitutes the first report of M. perniciosa on unidentified wood debris in Acre, thereby broadening our understanding of the pathogen’s distribution and ecological niche. Further studies are necessary to ascertain the geographical distribution of M. perniciosa within the country.