Polyphenol Oxidase Enzyme Variability Among Colletotrichum gloeosporioides Isolates Causing Anthracnose in Mango

Mango is one of the most popular and esteemed fruits of the tropical and subtropical world. Among biotic stresses, anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides (Penz) is the most destructive diseases of mango. In Andhra Pradesh, the disease occurs throughout the year with varying intensities in different locations under different agro-climatic conditions. A survey was carried out in nine agro climatic zones of A.P. and 72 isolates of C. gloeosporioides were collected and named as Cg 1 to Cg 72 and characterized for enzymatic variability. Isozyme patterns of polyphenol oxidases of all the seventy two isolates of C. gloeosporioides were studied through polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE). The dendrogram based on UPGMA analysis separated 72 isolates into 7 clusters with Jaccuard's coefficient ranging from 0.61 to 1.00. The dendrogram constructed from the pooled data clearly showed two major clusters at similarity coefficient of 0.61. First cluster consisted of five sub clusters and second cluster contain two sub classes. There was variation among the isolates with respect to poly phenol oxidase banding pattern, or may be there are different races. It was clear from the cluster analysis that, the isolates from nearer geographical location were grouped together. Cluster analysis also showed that C. gloeosporioides isolates from mango collected from nine agro climatic zones of Andhra Pradesh are distinctly related.