[5][1][3] In terms of geography, it is most likely to be found in tropical and sub-tropical regions, but also in places with high rain and humidity such as Poland.

[9] They are firmly attached to conidiophores[4] that are olive-brown, septate, and growing to an upper range of 100-200 μm, although this overall length may vary.

[4] The fungus grows on epidermal leaf wax of plants, particularly those in the Brassicaceae, and prefers an environment with high humidity and temperature range of 20–30 °C (68–86 °F).

[3] Macroscopically, the mycelium exhibits a range of colour: unpigmented when young, to olive-grey, grey-black at maturity.

[1] One of the pioneers for genetic research into Alternaria brassicicola was the Lawrence group at Virginia Bioinformatics Institute and the Genome Center at Washington University.

[5] Also, the infection is not limited to specific areas of the host plant; it can spread all over and even cause damping off of the seedlings at a relatively early stage.

[9] Pathogenesis is affected by factors such as: temperature, humidity, pH, reactive oxidation species, host defense molecules.

In contrast, mutations in genes such as AbHog1, AbNPS2, and AbSlt2 affect cell wall integrity and make the fungus more susceptible to host defenses.

Currently, research is being done to identify the gene(s) responsible for encoding a transcription factor, Bdtf1, important for the detoxification of host metabolites.

[3] It is most likely produced during conidial germination and probably linked to the ability of the fungus to infect and colonize Brassica leaves [10] However, recent studies have explored new potential metabolites.

[1] Furthermore, alternariol and tenuazonic acid seem to affect mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis pathways and protein synthesis respectively (in the host cell), but again, not to a significant degree.

[3] Cell wall degrading enzymes like lipases and cutinases are also linked to its pathogenicity, but more evidence of their efficacy is required.

It regulates 6 of the 139 genes encoding small secretion proteins and may have a role in pathogenesis, specifically cellulose digestion.

However, this has proved challenging due to the difficulty of transferring genes from wild-type to cultivated strains, resulting in genetic bottlenecks.

[3] The plants C. fenestratum and Piper betle also show potent fungicidal activity towards A. brassicicola both in vitro and under greenhouse conditions.

[6] Ethanol extracts from the dried roots of Solanum nigrum (black nightshade), traditionally used as herbal remedies in places ranging from the Far East to India and Mexico, show promising anti-fungal activity as well.

[7] As mentioned previously, Alternaria brassicicola causes severe black spot diseases in a number of ecologically important crops.

The resulting lesions greatly reduce available photosynthetic area, leading to wilt and plant death.