Morphology and Molecular Characterization of a Fungus from the Alternaria alternata Species Complex Causing Black Spots on Pyrus sinkiangensis (Koerle pear)

A small-spored Alternaria was found from black spots of storaged Koerle pear (Pyrus sinkiangensis), one of the economically important fruit in Xinjiang province, China. The morphology is similar to A. limoniasperae but obviously different in secondary conidiophores and conidial septa. A phylogenetic analysis using sequence datasets of ITS, GAPDH, TEF1, RPB2, Alt a1, OPA10-2, and EndoPG genes revealed that it belonged to the Alternaria alternata complex group. Pathogenicity tests illustrated that the fungus was the causal pathogen of black spot on Koerle pear fruit.