Internal transcribed spacer sequence database of plant fungal pathogens: PFP-ITSS database

The nurseries and plantations of medicinally and economically important plants are facing challenge on health front as they are being rapidly exposed to fungal pathogens thereby affecting their health and productivity adversely. The plant pathogenic fungi significantly damage and reduce the flora of subcontinent. Lack of knowledge and trouble in identification of fungal pathogens, are imposing a peril to both the flora and human health all over the world. Albeit routine pathological techniques can be used for the identification of plant fungal pathogens but these methods are time consuming and often need sound knowledge in mycotaxonomy. Recently, molecular (DNA sequence) data has emerged with the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region (DNA barcoding) as crucial biomarker to disclose the necessary information for the taxonomic identification of plant pathogenic fungi. However, development of nucleotide sequence database of plant pathogenic fungi will enable authentic pathogen identification easy and quickly even by a person not trained in fungal taxonomy. This study presents the development of a new plant fungal pathogen -Internal Transcribed Spacer Sequence database (PFP- ITSS Database) holding 1215 ITS sequences collected from various sources. It represents 1215 plant fungal pathogens (PFP) in relation to their respective economical and medicinal plants; and is available at http://shaktisahislab.com/include/ITSdb. PFP-ITSS Database will provide useful information for better understanding of plant pathogenic fungi, which cause disease in both economical and medicinal plants.