Molecular Characterization of Botrytis cinerea Moroccan Isolates Infecting Grapevine and the Cryptic Species Status in North Africa/ Europe

Grey mould is a serious disease that limits grapevine cultivation in some regions around the world. It causes severe losses in the quality and the volume of grapes harvested for wine production or fruit market. The genetic diversity of the Botrytis cinerea populations within Moroccan vineyards related to transposable elements (TEs) has been unexplored. Such information can help manage more effective strategies for controlling the disease. In the current study, 122 grapevine isolates were genotyped in order to check for transposable elements. It demonstrates that B. cinerea Moroccan populations is harbored all four transposable element states: both Boty and Flipper, Boty only, Flipper only and no transposable elements, relating to the four TEs genotypes Transposa, Boty, Flipper and Vacuma respectively. After frequency investigation, results showed that Transposa individuals containing Boty and Flipper TEs was the predominant type (78.69%) in grapevine populations, whereas only (2.46%) belonged to the Vacuma individuals lacking the two TEs types. Furthermore, Botrytis cinerea was mentioned to contain two cryptic species as species cluster, Groups I and II. Assessment of genetic polymorphism of the Bc-hch haplotyping locus using PCR and restriction enzyme digestion identified only the B. cinerea population isolates corresponding to one allelic type, so all the analysed isolates were classified as Group II B. cinerea stricto sensu (according to the most recent proposed classification). Study of genetic distribution of populations based on group I/group II cryptic species between North Africa and Europe studies reports revealed possible populations migration.