Phytotoxin Production of Nigrospora sphaerica Pathogenic on Turfgrasses

A causal fungus of turfgrass blight was isolated from the infected leaves of zoysiagrass (Zoysia japonica Steud.) and identified as Nigrospora sphaerica (Sacc.) Mason by using a light misroscope. Its conidia are large (14-20 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$ diameter), shiny, black, aseptate, and smooth-walled spheres. The fungus caused typical blighting symptoms on the two turfgrass plants of bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.) and bentgrass (Agrostis palustris Huds.). The fungus was found to produce a phytotoxic subtance to be associated with the pathogenic mechanism. A phytotoxin was isolated from the liquid cultures of N. sphaerica by repeated silica gel column chromatography and its structure was determined to be 5, 6-dihydro-5-hydroxy-6-propenyl-2H-pyr-2-one (T-3 compound). It was not a host-specific toxin showing phytotoxic effects to various plants inclusing turfgrasses in the leaf-wounding assay, the whole plant test, and the cellular leakage test. The compound caused leaf tip dieback symptoms in turfgrass plants similar to those caused by the pathogen. Thus, T-3 compound is thought to be involved in the development of Nigrospora blight.