Pathogenicity and Genetic Diversity of Botrytis cinerea and Botrytis allii Isolates Revealed by SCoT Markers as a molecular tool

Mahmoud, Adham Ezz El-Regal; Thabet, Youssef Ehab; Bally, George Adel; Mahmoud, Ahmed Ayman; Bagiwa, Ismail Lawal; Sadik, Atef Shoukry; Abo-Zaid, Aya Hossameldien

doi:10.21608/ejp.2025.437454

Pathogenicity and Genetic Diversity of Botrytis cinerea and Botrytis allii Isolates Revealed by SCoT Markers as a molecular tool

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Ain Shams University, P.O. Box 68, Hadayek Shobra, Cairo, Egypt

² Department of Agricultural Microbiology, Faculty of Agriculture, Ain Shams University, P.O. Box 68, Hadayek Shobra, Cairo, Egypt

³ Department of Plant Pathology, Faculty of Agriculture, Ain Shams University, P.O. Box 68, Hadayek Shobra, Cairo, Egypt.

10.21608/ejp.2025.437454

Abstract

The genus Botrytis encompasses a variety of species known for their significant impact on agricultural crops, primarily through the economically damaging gray mold, caused by Botrytis cinerea and Botrytis allii. These pathogens exhibit a broad host range, inflicting damage on various crops. Understanding the genetic diversity within Botrytis species populations is critical for effective disease management and resistance breeding programs. In this study, twelve Botrytis isolates, representing B. cinerea and B. allii collected from four different host plants, were genetically characterized using Start Codon Targeted (SCoT) markers. Eleven SCoT primers generated a total of 143 bands, with polymorphism levels ranging from 18 to 87%, reflecting differences in the discriminatory capacity of the primers. Primers SCoT-01 and SCoT-14 exhibited the highest polymorphism, demonstrating high effectiveness in distinguishing among Botrytis isolates. Genetic similarity analysis revealed clustering patterns that aligned with species classification, demonstrating moderate to high genetic relatedness among isolates from diverse hosts. Pathogenicity test conducted on host plants confirmed variability in virulence among the isolates, supporting the observed genetic diversity and highlighting the potential for differential disease severity across crop species. These results highlight the utility of SCoT markers for evaluating both species-level and intra-species variation in Botrytis populations. Overall, this study provides valuable molecular and pathological insights into the genetic structure and virulence potential of Botrytis spp., which can inform future disease management strategies and breeding efforts aimed at reducing the impact of these pathogens.

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