RFLP analysis for species separation in the genera Bipolaris and Curvularia

Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) of the total DNA of Bipolaris and Curvularia species was analysed using arbitrarily chosen genomic clones of DNA from Curvularia lunata and Bipolaris maydis as probes. Clear differences among species in both genera, resulting in different banding positions, were obtained with some probe-enzyme combinations. Intraspecific polymorphism in banding positions with these probe-enzyme combinations was slight, These analyses allow discrimination between the species. DNA fingerprinting with intrageneric probes is a potentially useful tool for species separation and identification in Bipolaris and Curvularia when coupled with another characteristic such as conidial morphology. Curvularia aeria comb. nov. was proposed for Curvularia lunata var. aeria on the basis of differences in RFLP banding patterns and differences in conidial morphology.