Dataset Information

Limited Sexual Reproduction and Quick Turnover in the Population Genetic Structure of Phytophthora infestans in Fujian, China.

ABSTRACT: The mating system plays an important role in the spatiotemporal dynamics of pathogen populations through both its direct and indirect impact on the generation and distribution of genetic variation. Here, we used a combination of microsatellite and phenotypic markers to investigate the spatiotemporal distribution of genetic variation in Phytophthora infestans isolates collected from Fujian, China and to determine the role of sexual reproduction in the dynamics. Although the pathogen populations in this region were dominated by self-fertile genotypes, sexual reproduction only occurred occasionally and its contributions to the population genetic structure of P. infestans and epidemics of late blight in the region were limited. Only 49 genotypes were detected among the 534 isolates assayed and the pathogen populations displayed significant heterozygosity excess. Hierarchical analysis revealed that 21.42% of genetic variation was attributed to the difference among sampling years while only 4.45% was attributed to the difference among locations, suggesting temporal factors play a more important role in the population genetic dynamics of P. infestans than spatial factors in this region. We propose that clonal reproduction, combined with founder effects and long distance dispersal of sporangia, is responsible for the observed pattern of spatiotemporal dynamics in P. infestans.

SUBMITTER: Zhu W

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4429539 | biostudies-literature | 2015 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Limited Sexual Reproduction and Quick Turnover in the Population Genetic Structure of Phytophthora infestans in Fujian, China.

Zhu Wen W Yang Li-Na LN Wu E-Jiao EJ Qin Chun-Fang CF Shang Li-Ping LP Wang Zong-Hua ZH Zhan Jiasui J

Scientific reports 20150513

The mating system plays an important role in the spatiotemporal dynamics of pathogen populations through both its direct and indirect impact on the generation and distribution of genetic variation. Here, we used a combination of microsatellite and phenotypic markers to investigate the spatiotemporal distribution of genetic variation in Phytophthora infestans isolates collected from Fujian, China and to determine the role of sexual reproduction in the dynamics. Although the pathogen populations i ...[more]

PMID: 25970264

Similar Datasets

Project description:AtGenExpress: A multinational coordinated effort to uncover the transcriptome of the multicellular model organism Arabidopsis thaliana (Hybridisations done at NASC) The activity of genes and their encoded products can be regulated in several ways, but transcription is the primary level, since all other modes of regulation (RNA splicing, RNA and protein stability, etc.) are dependent on a gene being transcribed in the first place. The importance of transcriptional regulation has been underscored by the recent flood of global expression analyses, which have confirmed that transcriptional co-regulation of genes that act together is the norm, not the exception. Moreover, many studies suggest that evolutionary change is driven in large part by modifications of transcriptional programs. An essential first step toward deciphering the transcriptional code is to determine the expression pattern of all genes. With this goal in mind, an international effort to develop a gene expression atlas of Arabidopsis has been underway since fall 2003. This project, dubbed AtGenExpress, is funded by the DFG, and will provide the Arabidopsis community with access to a large set of Affymetrix microarray data. As part of this collaboration, we have generated expression data from 80 biologicaly different samples in triplicate. Series 2: Base line experiment for pathogen infection. Growth and infection conditions: Seeds will be stratified for 3 days at 4°C and sown on soil. Plants are grown at 22°C under a 8/16 hour light/dark regime in Percival growth chambers. All pathogen treatments will be performed on leaves of 5-weeks old plants. Bacterial infiltrations will be performed with 10-8 cfu/ml in 10 mM MgCl2. 5x105 spores of Phytophthora infestans in water will be applied to leaf surfaces. LPS (100 µg/ml), HrpZ (1 µM), NPP1 (2 µM) or flagellin (1 µM flg22) will be applied in water. Experiments should be performed in triplicate at the time points indicated below. Experimenter name = Dierk Scheel , Frederic Brunner , Lore Westphal Experimenter institute = AtGenExpress Keywords: genetic_modification_design; organism_part_comparison_design; development_or_differentiation_design

Project description:BackgroundSexual reproduction provides an evolutionary advantageous mechanism that combines favorable mutations that have arisen in separate lineages into the same individual. This advantage is especially pronounced in microparasites as allelic reassortment among individuals caused by sexual reproduction promotes allelic diversity at immune evasion genes within individuals which is often essential to evade host immune systems. Despite these advantages, many eukaryotic microparasites exhibit highly-clonal population structures suggesting that genetic exchange through sexual reproduction is rare. Evidence supporting clonality is particularly convincing in the causative agent of Chagas disease, Trypanosoma cruzi, despite equally convincing evidence of the capacity to engage in sexual reproduction.Methodology/ principle findingsIn the present study, we investigated two hypotheses that can reconcile the apparent contradiction between the observed clonal population structure and the capacity to engage in sexual reproduction by analyzing the genome sequences of 123 T. cruzi isolates from a natural population in Arequipa, Peru. The distribution of polymorphic markers within and among isolates provides clear evidence of the occurrence of sexual reproduction. Large genetic segments are rearranged among chromosomes due to crossing over during meiosis leading to a decay in the genetic linkage among polymorphic markers compared to the expectations from a purely asexually-reproducing population. Nevertheless, the population structure appears clonal due to a high level of inbreeding during sexual reproduction which increases homozygosity, and thus reduces diversity, within each inbreeding lineage.Conclusions/ significanceThese results effectively reconcile the apparent contradiction by demonstrating that the clonal population structure is derived not from infrequent sex in natural populations but from high levels of inbreeding. We discuss epidemiological consequences of this reproductive strategy on genome evolution, population structure, and phenotypic diversity of this medically important parasite.

Dataset Information

Limited Sexual Reproduction and Quick Turnover in the Population Genetic Structure of Phytophthora infestans in Fujian, China.

Publications

Limited Sexual Reproduction and Quick Turnover in the Population Genetic Structure of Phytophthora infestans in Fujian, China.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure