Genus Trichoderma classifies as a broad-based, saprotrophic fungi and a prime component of the fungal community of various soil ecosystems. The diversity of this genus has non-extensive studies in Uzbekistan, and the prevalence of investigations relied on phenotypic traits. Here, the isolation of four Trichoderma strains (BZS-T1, BZS-T2, BZS-T3, and BZS-T4) from the anthropogenic pollution zone in Uzbekistan succeeded. Using a molecular genetic approach based on the tef1 gene region enabled us to report for the first time Trichoderma afroharzianum species in the polluted soils of Uzbekistan. Twelve reference strains obtained from the NCBI database underwent the phylogenetic analysis of the BZS-T1 strain. Based on the phylogenetic tree, the isolate BZS-T1 displayed clustering with T. afroharzianum strain T-22 (ATCC 20847) from the USA, isolate AG500 from Thailand and isolate Tri-1 procured from China. The promising results confirmed the value of the DNA-based identification process, which was worthwhile to promote and apply, especially for identifying Trichoderma species in Uzbekistan and Central Asia. The T. afroharzianum isolate BZS-T1 could have considerable potential regarding its antagonistic properties, inducing systemic resistance in plants and as a bioremediation agent for polluted soils and wastewater.
Trichoderma afroharzianum, identification, Tef-1a, molecular genetic approach, phylogenetic analysis, microbial biodiversity, Central Asia
Several morphologically based studies of Trichoderma in Uzbekistan enunciated that several T. harzianum isolates succeeded in segregation. However, the T. afroharzianum has no previous reports in Uzbekistan.