Determination of whole-cell fatty acid profiles for the characterization and differentiation of isolates of Rhizoctonia solani AG-4 and AG-7

Fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) of isolates of Rhizoctonia solani AG-4 and AG-7 were characterized by gas chromatography and analyzed with Microbial Identification System software. Palmitic, stearic, and oleic acids were common in all isolates from both anastomosis groups (AGs) and accounted for 95% of the C14 to C18 fatty acids present. Oleic acid, most common in both R. solani AG-4 and AG-7 isolates, accounted for the greatest percentages of total FAMEs. The presence, quantities, or absence of individual fatty acids could not be used for distinguishing AG-4 and AG-7 isolates. Anteisopentadecanoic and 9-heptadecanoic acids, however, were specific to all three AG-7 isolates from Japan but absent in other AG-7 isolates and all AG-4 isolates. Pentadecanoic acid occurred in only two of the R. solani AG-4 isolates, but was not found in any of the AG-7 isolates. The AG-4 isolates could be distinguished from AG-7 isolates when quantities of FAMEs and key FAME ratios were analyzed with cluster analysis and principle components were plotted. Isolates of AG-7 from Arkansas, Indiana, and Georgia appeared to be more closely related to each other than to AG-7 isolates from Japan and Mexico. These differences in FAMEs were sufficiently distinct that isolate geographical variability could be determined. A dendrogram analysis cluster constructed from the FAMEs data showed results similar to that of the principal component analysis. Euclidean distances of total AG-4 isolates were distinct from total AG-7 isolates. The Arkansas and Indiana AG-7 isolates had a similar Euclidean distance to each another but the percentages were different for the AG-7 isolates from Japan and Mexico. In conclusion, variability of the FAMEs identified in this study would not be suitable as the main diagnostic tool for distinguishing individual isolates of R. solani AG-4 from AG-7.