---

Fungi associated with ascocarps of Terfezia claveryi, Tirmania nivea, T. pinoyi, Picoa lefebvrei and P. juniperi in Iran showed a wide range of genera and species in 94 samples collected during 2005–2009 from different regions including Fars, Systan and Baluchestan, Kerman, East Azarbaijan, Khuzestan, Kermanshah and Hormozgan provinces. Thirty two species belonging to 21 genera were recovered from ascocarps of truffles on two culture media. Penicillium chrysogenum, P. citrinum, P. griseofulvum, P. brevicompactum, P. crustosum, P. oxalicum, Aspergillus carbonarius, A. niger, A. flavus and A. terreus were the most common fungal species isolated on glucose–Czapek agar medium. The number of fungal species recovered on 20% NaCl–Czapek agar were less (4 genera and 10 species). The most abundant fungal genera belonged to Penicillium and Aspergillus. Also, Paecilomyces lilacinus and Scopulariopsis halophilica could grow on Czapek agar medium amended with 20 % NaCl. Other fungal species were not able to grow on this medium.

---

The genus Phaeoacremonium is associated with decline disease of woody plants and with human infections. Members of this genus have broad host range and wide geographical distribution. During 2010, ten isolates of Phaeoacremonium were recovered from vascular tissues of persimmon (Diospyros kaki) trees, showing decline symptoms in Shiraz city. Anamorphic characteristics such as, conidiophore morphology, phialide type and shape, size of hyphal warts, conidial size and shape were investigated. Based on morphological characteristics the presence of Pm. rubrigenum in Iran was documented. To confirm morphological identification, DNA was extracted from isolates using a genomic DNA purification Kit. Region of internal transcribed spacers 1, 2 and 5.8S genes of rDNA were amplified using ITS4 and ITS1 universal primer set. Fragments of 630 bp were recovered from PCR, purified, sequenced, edited and deposited in GenBank. Pm. rubrigenum isolates had an average of 99 % identity with all P. rubrigenum sequences compared. This species is a new report from Iran.  

---

The reaction of nineteen different cultivars of Cucurbita spp. including Cucurbita pepo, Cucurbita maxima and Lagenaria siceraria to Phytophthora capsici, Phytophthora melonis and Phytophthora drechsleri was studied under greenhouse conditions. Plants were grown in steam sterilized soil. One-month-old plants were inoculated with vermiculate hempseed extract inocula of Phytophthora and were flooded for 24 hours. The activity of the pathogens was monitored during the experiment by using citrus leaf discs. Seedling mortality was monitored two months after inoculation. None of the species were infected with P. drechsleri or P. melonis. Cucurbita maxima cultivars Hamedan and ACE South Korea, C. pepo cultivar Shabestar and Lagenaria siceraria were not infected with P. capcisi. The possibility of using these cultivars as root stocks for grafting against Phytophthora species is discussed.

---

Tazmin: A different term in the Bīdel Dehlavī's boutiquette
Bahman banihashemi[1]
Abstract
       One of the difficulties of Biddle Dehlavi's poetry is the understanding of meanings and special uses of words and expressions in his poems. Bidl uses some Persian terms with meaning and phrases and is foreign to the meaning and terminology of the words in Persian. "Tazmin" is one of these terms used by Biddle in a different sense, and sometimes he has made a combination of "Mesrae Tazmin".
       In this article, first, the definitions and meanings of the Tazmin are examined in dictionaries and rhetorical books, and then the meaning of the term in Biddle's poems is analyzed. Also, the term "Mesrae Tazmin" is examined. The author's method in analyzing the meaning of this term is to use Biddle's own poems, and for this purpose, the uses of the term in Biddle's poems are determined and explained. In the end, the meaning of "Tazmin" and "Mesrae Tazmin" is examined in the poems of some of Biddle's contemporary poets and compared to their meanings in Biddle's poems. This article shows that the terms "Tazmin", "Mesrae Tazmin" and "Mazmoun" in the 12th century AH in the Indian subcontinent have become literally specialized terminology and have adopted new definitions. In these definitions, "Mazmoun" is used specifically for the meaning of "Mesrae Barjaste", and the term "Tazmin" refers to the process of "Mesra resaani" or "Pishmesra resaani", also referred to as the "Mazmoun bastan". "Mesrae Tazmin" is a term used to "Mesra or Pishmesrae resaande".

Keywords list: Bidel dehlavi, Tzmin, Mesrae Tazmin, Mazmoun, Mesra resaandan, Indian style, Meaning analysis

1. PhD candidate, Institute for Humanities and Cultural Studies.  bahmansher@gmail.com

---

During 2003-2004, a number of rhizospheric soil samples were collected of either healthy or symptomatic field grown melon plants infected with Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. melonis race1/2 (Fom). Twenty one bacterial strains capable of inhibiting Fom including Burkholderia sp., Bacillus sp., Streptomyces sp. and Pseudomonas fluorescens were isolated. The strains colonized roots of “long melon” cultivar of Mashhad and, within two weeks, resulted in increased fresh and dry weight, length of stem and root, and number and area of leaves, in the absence and presence of Fom, under greenhouse and growth chamber conditions. The growth inhibition of Fom in vitro was due to antagonism, siderophore and antibiotic production, and secretion of exogenous compounds. All antagonistic strains reduced infection of long melon seeds with Fom under controlled conditions.

---

Petri disease is responsible for grapevine decline and occurs wherever grapevines (Vitis vinifera) are cultivated. Phaeoacremonium species are among the principal hyphomycetes associated with Petri disease. During 2009, a field survey was conducted throughout different vineyards in the Fars province of Iran in order to determine the fungal pathogens associated with the vine decline observed in the region. Samples were taken from grapevines showing yellowing, interveinal chlorosis, leaf necrosis, reduced growth, wilting, wood necrosis and streaking, and xylem discoloration symptoms in cross section. Isolations were made from symptomatic wood tissues from cordons and trunks on malt extract agar supplemented with 1 mg ml^-1 streptomycin sulphate (MEAS) and potato dextrose agar (PDA) media. Based on morphological and molecular characteristics two species of Phaeoacremonium, Phaeocremonium mortoniae and Pm. inflatipes, were isolated and identified from grapevines showing yellowing, slow dieback, stunted growth, and reduced foliage in Bavanat (Fars province, south-western Iran). Pathogenicity tests were conducted on rooted grapevine cuttings (cv. Askari) under greenhouse conditions. Based on the results of pathogenicity tests, both tested Phaeoacremonium species were pathogenic and caused significant vascular discoloration in inoculated cuttings four months after inoculation. The fungi were reisolated from the margins of the lesion and healthy tissue, completing Koch’s postulates. Based on our knowledge, this is the first report of Pm. mortoniae and Pm. inflatipes causing grapevine Petri disease in Iran.

---

 Terfezia, Picoa and Tirmania, so called desert truffles, are mycorrhizal fungi mostly endemic to arid and semi-arid areas of the Mediterranean Region, where they are associated with Helianthemum and Carexspecies. The aim of this work was to study the identification, molecular analysis, distribution and hosts of these pezizalean hypogeous fungi in Iran. Among the specimens, Terfezia claveryi, Tirmania pinoyi, T. nivea, Picoa lefebvrei and P. juniperi were identified. Field, laboratory and anatomical studies showed that Helianthemum ledifolium, H. salicifolium, H. lippi and Carex stenophylum have ectomycorrhizal associations with five species in the studied areas. The results of molecular analysis showed that C. stenophylum roots form mycorrhizal associations with T. claveryi. Hyphal mantle was absent from sections of the mycorrhizas. The results of physico-chemical analyses on soil samples from different parts of the Fars Province in Iran showed that the genus Tirmania was more prevalent in soils with high CaCO3 and silt contents than the T. claveryi, P. lefebvrei and P. juniperi. The Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) indicated that soil structure were an important environmental parameter influencing desert truffles distribution.

---

During 2004–2007 various own rooted vineyards were inspected to study the fungi associated with vine trunk diseases in Iran. Samples from declining vines showing yellowing and reduced growth and different symptoms in wood, including browning of the wood, necrosis, brown and black streaking and white rot were collected. Fungal isolations were made from affected tissues onto Malt Extract Agar (MEA) supplemented with 1 g l^–1 streptomycin sulphate (MEAS). Based on morphological and molecular characteristics, the following species were identified: Phaeoacremonium (Pm.) aleophilum, Phaeomoniella (Pa.) chlamydosporaand less frequently Pm. parasiticum, Pm. inflatipes, Pm. cinereum, Cylindrocarpon liriodendri, Diplodia seriata and Neofusicoccum parvum. Results of the pathogenicity tests under field conditions showed that Pa. chlamydospora and Phaeoacremonium spp. caused large wood discoloration 10 months after inoculation without any external foliar symptoms. Phaeomoniella chlamydospora caused larger lesions than Phaeoacremonium spp. All inoculated species were re-isolated from the margin of the lesions completing Koch’s postulates. This study represents the first comprehensive work that investigates the molecular and morphological identification and pathogenicity of Phaeoacremonium spp. and Pa. chlamydospora associated with vine decline in Iran. This is also the first report of Pm. inflatipes, N. parvum and D. seriata associated with grapevine decline in this country.

---

 Roots of Helianthemum species were collected from various rangeland sites in Fars, and other provinces in Iran. The partial small subunits of ribosomal DNA genes were amplified with the genomic DNA extracted from their roots by nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using the universal fungal primer pair ITS1/ITS4 and specific primer pair FTC/RTC, which was designed based on internal transcribed spacer 1, 2 and 5.8S gene of rDNA sequences of Terfezia claveryi. The nested-PCR was sensitive enough to re-amplify the direct-PCR product, resulting in a DNA fragment of 500 bp. The efficacy of the nested-PCR showed that it could re-amplify the direct-PCR product and detect 2fg genomic DNA. Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) was analyzed using the two restriction enzymes Hinf I and Alu I. Nucleotides sequence analysis revealed that the sequences from infected Helianthemum species were close to those of T. claveryi. With the nested PCR method, H. lipii and H. salicifolium were confirmed as host plants of T. claveryi in greenhouse inoculated plants and also in the rangelands of different areas in Fars and other provinces inIran.

---

During 2004-2007, a field survey was conducted in different vineyards to determine the fungal pathogens associated with grapevine decline in different provinces of Iran including Fars,Hamedan,Isfahan, and Kohgiluyeh and Boirahmad. Twenty-seven isolates of Botryosphaeriaceae were recovered from vines showing decline and dieback symptoms only in Fars Province. Based on morphological and cultural characters along with molecular analysis [partial sequences of the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS), beta-tubulin (BT), and elongation factor 1-a (EF)], two species of Botryosphaeriaceae, namely, Diplodia seriata and Neofusicoccum parvum were identified. Both species were pathogenic on rooted cuttings of cv. Cabernet Sauvignon and caused the dieback and drying-out of leaves as well as extended lesions on the shoots 4 months after inoculation. Results showed that N. parvum isolates were the most virulent and produced significantly longer lesions than those caused by D. seriata. Both species were reisolated from the margin of the lesions completing Koch’s postulates.

---

Fusarium wilt of melon is a destructive fungal disease throughout the world. In this study, the evolutionary relationships among isolates of different formae speciales of Fusarium oxysporum was examined, with a special emphasis on the forma specialis melonis. Bootstrapped maximum likelihood analysis of the elongation factor-1α (EF-1α) sequence was conducted on 16 Iranian and 11 foreign isolates of F. o. melonis that included representatives of different vegetative compatibility groups (VCGs 0130-0136). The tree inferred from the dataset resolved five evolutionary lineages that were correlated with the F. o. melonis VCGs, with the exception of VCGs 0130 and 0131, which could not be differentiated with EF-1α sequences. Furthermore, based on EF-1α sequences, specific associations were found between F. o. melonis VCGs and the other formae speciales whose sequences were obtained from the GenBank. Taken together, these results support a polyphyletic origin for F. o. melonis, meaning that the ability of this forma specialis to cause disease on melon has emerged multiple times.

---

Theplant pathogenic Phytophthora drechsleri is morphologically similar to some other non-papillate Phytophthora spp., especially P. melonis, and it is difficult to discriminate these convergent taxa. It seems that the Iranian putative P. drechsleri isolates from different cucurbit species have been generally misidentified and their characteristics do not match with P. drechsleri. In order to compare these two groups, authentic P. drechsleri isolates and isolates from different cucurbits were assessed for morphological, physiological (cultural, temperature relations, mating type), and molecular traits. Multiple gene genealogy analysis were performed on regions of nuclear (ITS, β-tubulin, translation elongation factor 1α, elicitin) and mitochondrial (cytochrome c oxidase subunit I) gene sequences. Congruence was observed in different phylogenetic data sets. The present study demonstrated that putative P. drechsleri isolates from cucurbits and pistachio trees were a distinct species and belonged to P. melonis. Data showed that P. melonis was a homogenous species and there were no considerable molecular intraspecific variations between isolates from cucurbits and isolates from other hosts. Design of a molecular species-specific identification tool for P. melonis isolates is under investigation. 

---

Citrus plants are hosts of several viroid species, among which, pathogenic variants of Hop Stunt Viroid (HSVd) induce citrus cachexia disease. Stunting, chlorosis, gumming of the bark, stem pitting and decline are symptoms of cachexia in mandarins and their hybrids as susceptible hosts. Based on the pathogenic properties on citrus, HSVd variants are divided in two distinct groups: those that are symptomless on sensitive citrus host species and those that induce cachexia disease. In this study, two cachexia isolates were selected and biological indexing was performed in a controlled temperature greenhouse (40ºC day and 28ºC night) using Etrog citron (Citrus medica) grafted on Rough lemon (C. jhambiri), as a common indicator for citrus viroids. The plants were inoculated with the inocula from a severe symptomatic tree of a newly declining orchard of Jiroft, Kerman province and a mild symptomatic tree from Mazandaran province. Presence of HSVd was confirmed with sPAGE, Hybridization by DIG-labeled probes and RT-PCR using specific primers of HSVd. Primary and secondary structures of the isolates were studied. The consensus sequence of RT-PCR amplicons of the severe isolate (JX430796) presented 97% identity with the reference sequence of a IIb variant of HSVd (AF213501) and an Iranian isolate of the viroid (GQ923783) deposited in the gene bank. The mild isolate (JX430798) presented 100% homology with the HSVd-IIc variant previously reported from Iran (GQ923784). Both isolates were shown to be cachexia inducing according to their sizes, sequences and lack of “non-cachexia expression motif” structures.

---

Cultivars of Cucumis melo L. are important economic crops planted in both saline and non-saline soils in Iran. Root rot on C. melo caused by Phytophthora melonis is one of the most devastating soil-borne diseases causing great loss. C. melo crops cultivated in saline soil adjacent to Maharloo Lake (salt lake) in Fars Province have been associated with diseases caused by Phytophthora species for many years. In this study, effect of salinity on Phytophthora root rot on C. melo under hydroponic system was investigated: Four-week-old plants of three cultivars, namely, Shahde-Shiraz, Dastanbo-Khorasan, and Kharbozeh-Mashhad grown in Nukaya solution were subjected to salinity stress for one week. A week later, all plants were inoculated with zoospore suspension of P. melonios. After 48 hours, inoculated solution was replaced by fresh nutrient solution and post-inoculation salt-stressed treatment was applied to some plants. Based on shoot dry weight and concentration of Na⁺, K⁺, and Cl^-, cultivars Shahde-Shiraz and Dastanbo-Khorasan were sensitive and resistant to salinity and also with the highest and lowest colonization of roots by P. melonis, respectively. Interaction of salinity and infection by P. melonis reduced shoot dry weight in the salt-tolerant cultivar more than salt-sensitive plants. Salinity increased root colonization by P. melonis compared to non-saline condition. The increase in root colonization due to salinity was not significantly different in Shahde-Shiraz and Kharbozeh-Mashhad cultivars. In Dastanbo-Khorasan, due to its higher resistance to P. melonis, salinity resulted in significant increase in root colonization, indicating reduction of root resistance due to salinity stress.