GENERAL FEATURES,

TAXONOMIC STATUS AND

ECONOMIC
IMPROTANCE OF ALTERNARIA
MANAV RACHNA INTERNATIONAL
INSTITUTE OF RESEARCH AND
STUDIES

NAME :- DISHA
CLASS :- BSC. MICROBIOLOGY 3RD
SEM
ROLL NO. :- 1/21/FET/BSM/004
 INTRODUCTION
GENUS :- ALTERNARIA
 Is a fungus causing leaf blight and other diseases on over

380 host species of plant.

 It is an opportunistic pathogen on numerous host causing
leaf spots, rots and blights on many plant parts.
 Species of the genus are cosmopolitan and can survive a
saprophytes as well as weak parasites.
 It can also cause upper respiratory tract infections and
asthma in humans with compromised immunity.
HISTORY AND EVOLUTION

 The genus Alternaria was first recognized by Nees in

1817.
 In 1836, Berkeley identified the casual fungus on plants
belonging to family Brassicaceae as macrosporium
brassicae Berk. Which was later renamed as Alternaria
brassicae ( Berk.) Sacc
 Elliot studied the taxonomy of alternaria in detail.
 Wiltshire pioneered the basic studies of this group of
hyphomycetes. His findings fundamental to the prevailing
concepts of Alternaria, Microsporium, Stemphylium.
 Later , Neergard made an extensive study
on the taxonomy , parasitism and economic
significance of this genus.

 The morphological variations of Alternaria

species were described by Joly .
 In
India, the first report of alternaria
was made from Pusa ( Bihar ) on a
herbarium material of sarson ( Brassica
sp )
 In
U.P. the appearance of Alternaria
spp. was noticed by dey
A comprehensive account of
distinguishing characters of the Indian
species of Alternaria has been
described by Subramanian
GENERAL FEATURES OF
ALTERNARIA
1. Habit and habitat of
Alternaria
2. Symptoms of
Alternaria
3. Vegetative structure of
Alternaria
4. Reproduction of
Alternaria
HABIT AND HABITAT OF ALTERNARIA

Alternaria is represented by about 50 species. Several

form – species are found as saprobes on dead and
decaying plant parts and in the soil while some form –
species are facultative parasites, infecting a large
number of higher plants.

The conidia are picked by the wind from soil and invade
laboratories and houses. In laboratories conidia
contiminate the cultures and in houses these conidia are
responsible for allergies, skin diseases and hey fever.
The most commonly occuring disease of potato early
blight is caused by Alternaria solani.
SYMPTOMS OF ALTERNARIA

Alternaria shows the symptoms of blight. Early

symptoms appear in the form of yellowish –
brown spots on the leaves, which enlarge in
size and become round to form the concentric
rings.
If we studies these spots with the handlens
they appear like the 'target boards’ and hence
the symptoms are called target board effect.
In severe infection entire lamina, petiole,stem
and even tubers are badly damaged. Edible
VEGETATIVE STRUCTURE OF
ALTERNARIA
 The mycelium is
endophytic , profusely
branched and septate.
In parasitic species it is
both inter – and
intracellular, geniculate,
light brown and without
haustoria. Each cell of
the hypha is usually
multinucleate.
 Mycelium of the fungus is intercellular
or intracellular.

 Light– brown coloured hyphae are well

– branched, septate and each cell is
multinucleate.

 Haustoria are absent.

REPRODUCTION IN
ALTERNARIA
 Alternaria reproduces only by conidia which are produced at
the tips of conidiophores. The endophytic mycelium grows
out as erect and aerial hyphae through the stomata or
ruptured epidermis of the infected host tissue. The
conidiophores are short, dark coloured, aerial, septate
structures and cannot be easily distinguished from the
somatic hyphae.
 A conidium develops as an apical bud from the uppermost
cell of the conidiophore. The young conidium first divide by
transverse septa and some of its cells divide by longitudinal
septa. Conidia with transverse and longitudinal septa are
called ‘muriform or dictyosporse’.
Conidiophore gives rise to one or
two conidia exogenously at the
top, but in synthetic media chains of
conidia may be produced.
Sometimes branching of the conidial
chain is also observed. Any lower
ceil of the conidium produces a bud
which develops into conidium.
A Mature conidium is
multicellular,obclavate, elliptical or
breaked about 30-12 ú long , 12-30
ú broad and has transverse or
longitudinal septa. It is surrounded
by two layered wall of which the
outer wall is pigmented and the
innerwall is hyaline.
 Early blight of potatoes. Alternaria solani
 Black point disease of wheat. A. Altemata
 Leafblight of wheat. A. Triticina
 Leafspot of crucifers. A. brassicae
 Leafspot of cucurbits. A. Cucumerina
 Leafspot of tobacco. A. Longipes
TAXONOMIC STATUS OF
ALTERNARIA
 Alternaria is a genus of Deuteromycetes
fungi. All species are known as major plant
pathogens. They are also common
allergens in humans, growing indoors and
causing hay fever or hypersensitivity
reactions that sometimes lead to asthama.
They are present in the human mycobiome
and really cause opportunistic infections
in immunocompromised peoples such as
AIDS patients.
 SCIENTIFIC
CLASSIFICATION

kingdom :-. Fungi

Division :-. Ascomycota
Class. :- Dothideomycetes
Order. :-. Pleosporales
Family. :-. Pleosporaceae
 There are 299 species in the genus.
 Theyare ubiquitous in the environment and the
natural part of fungal flora almost everywhere.
 They
are normal agents of decay and
decomposition.
 Thespores are airborne and found in the soil
and water as well as indoors and in objects.
 Theclub shaped spores are single or form long
chains.
 They are usually green black or grey.
ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE OF
ALTERNARIA
 Alternaria is a very common saprophytic
fungus. It decomposes the dead part of the
plants. A few species of Alternaria can attack
on living tissues. Alternaria causes diseases
in plants like early blight of potatoes and
boll rots of cotton.
 Occurrence Alternaria is a very common
saprophytic fungus. It decomposes the dead part
of the plants. A few species of Alternaria can
attack on living tissues. Alternaria cause diseases
in plants like early blight of potatoes and boll rots
of cotton.
 Mostof species of Alternaria are plant and
human parasites. Atleast 200/c of
agricultural spoilage is caused by Alternaria
species.
 Alternaria solani is a fungal pathogen. It
causes a disease in tomato and potato
plants called early blight. It produces
small, darkened lesions on the plants that
spread into growing black spots of dead
tissue. It often kills most of the plant in the
long run. Seeds infected with the disease
may even damp off during germination.
 Theyare also common allergens in humans,
growing indoors and causing hay fever or
• Thank you

Disha