solani and their maximum identity ranged from 95% to 100%. Phylogenetic parsimony and Bayesian analyses of these isolates showed that they belong to a single F. solani clade and that they are distributed in two subclades named A and C (the latter containing 23 out of 25). A representative isolate of subclade C was used in challenge inoculation experiments to test Koch postulates. Mortality rates were c. 83.3% in challenged eggs and 8.3% in the control. Inoculated challenged eggs exhibited the same symptoms as infected eggs found in the field. Thus, this work demonstrates that

a group of strains of F. solani are responsible for the symptoms observed on turtle-nesting beaches, and that they represent a risk for the survival Metformin price of this endangered species. The main threats to marine turtles during their life cycle occur in the sea (e.g. drowning due to fishing gear, pollution, or ingestion of plastics) and at nesting beaches (both http://www.selleckchem.com/products/ITF2357(Givinostat).html during

the egg-laying period and embryonic development in the nest). During the embryonic stages, turtle nests are exposed to a number of risks that may critically affect their hatching success (Bustard, 1972; Fowler, 1979; Whitmore & Dutton, 1985). This is usually attributed to beach erosion, depredation, plant root invasion, excessive rainfall, tidal inundation, developmental abnormalities as well as pathogenic infections (Phillott et al., 2001). In the past 30 years, an abrupt decline in the number of nesting beaches of sea turtles, breeding females, hatching success and the survival rate of the hatchlings has been noted worldwide. The reasons for this are related to human impact, such as coastal development, and juvenile and adult by-catch (Marco et al., 2006). In a number of cases, this decline is also suspected to be due to pathogenic microorganisms. However, there are few studies regarding the impact of microorganisms on sea turtle eggs (Abella et al., 2008) and recent investigations are pointing to the Ergoloid role of Fusarium species as a possible reason of nesting decline during the embryonic

stage of development (Phillott & Parmenter, 2001; Abella et al., 2008). The fungal species Fusarium solani (Mart.) Saccardo (1881) (teleomorph=Nectria haematococca;Rossman et al., 1999) belongs to the Ascomycetes and represents a diverse complex of over 45 phylogenetic and/or biological species (Zhang et al., 2006; O’Donnell et al., 2008). This species complex is widely distributed and comprises soil-borne saprotrophs that are among the most frequently isolated fungal species from soil and plant debris. Under conducive conditions, this fungus can cause serious plant diseases, infecting at least 111 plant species spanning 87 genera (Kolattukudy & Gamble, 1995), and has also been shown to cause disease in immunocompromised animals (Booth, 1971; Summerbell, 2003). Interestingly, isolates of F.