Dataset Information

Sympatry and interference of divergent Microbotryum pathogen species.

ABSTRACT: The impact of infectious diseases in natural ecosystems is strongly influenced by the degree of pathogen specialization and by the local assemblies of potential host species. This study investigated anther-smut disease, caused by fungi in the genus Microbotryum, among natural populations of plants in the Caryophyllaceae. A broad geographic survey focused on sites of the disease on multiple host species in sympatry. Analysis of molecular identities for the pathogens revealed that sympatric disease was most often due to co-occurrence of distinct, host-specific anther-smut fungi, rather than localized cross-species disease transmission. Flowers from sympatric populations showed that the Microbotryum spores were frequently moved between host species. Experimental inoculations to simulate cross-species exposure to the pathogens in these plant communities showed that the anther-smut pathogen was less able to cause disease on its regular host when following exposure of the plants to incompatible pathogens from another host species. These results indicate that multi-host/multi-pathogen communities are common in this system and they involve a previously hidden mechanism of interference between Microbotryum fungi, which likely affects both pathogen and host distributions.

SUBMITTER: Hood ME

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6509394 | biostudies-literature | 2019 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Sympatry and interference of divergent <i>Microbotryum</i> pathogen species.

Hood Michael E ME Antonovics Janis J Wolf Monroe M Stern Zachariah L ZL Giraud Tatiana T Abbate Jessica L JL

Ecology and evolution 20190412 9

The impact of infectious diseases in natural ecosystems is strongly influenced by the degree of pathogen specialization and by the local assemblies of potential host species. This study investigated anther-smut disease, caused by fungi in the genus <i>Microbotryum</i>, among natural populations of plants in the Caryophyllaceae. A broad geographic survey focused on sites of the disease on multiple host species in sympatry. Analysis of molecular identities for the pathogens revealed that sympatric ...[more]

PMID: 31110694

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Project description:Climate change is having profound impacts on animal populations, and shifts in geographic range are predicted in response. Shifts that result in range overlap between previously allopatric congeneric species may have consequences for biodiversity through interspecific competition, hybridization, and genetic introgression. Harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) and spotted seals (Phoca largha) are parapatric sibling species and areas of co-occurrence at the edges of their range, such as Bristol Bay, Alaska, offer a unique opportunity to explore ecological separation and discuss potential consequences of increased range overlap resulting from retreating sea ice. Using telemetry and genetic data from 14 harbor seals and six spotted seals, we explored the ecological and genetic separation of the two species by comparing their utilization distributions, distance from haul-out, dive behavior (e.g., depth, duration, focus), and evidence of hybridization. Firstly, we show that harbor and spotted seals, which cannot be visually distinguished definitively in all cases, haul-out together side by side in Bristol Bay from late summer to early winter. Secondly, we observed subtle rather than pronounced differences in ranging patterns and dive behavior during this period. Thirdly, most spotted seals in this study remained close to shore in contrast to what is known of the species in more northern areas, and lastly, we did not find any evidence of hybridization. The lack of distinct ecological separation in this area of sympatry suggests that interspecific competition could play an important role in the persistence of these species, particularly if range overlap will increase as a result of climate-induced range shifts and loss of spotted seal pagophilic breeding habitat. Our results also highlight the added complexities in monitoring these species in areas of suspected overlap, as they cannot easily be distinguished without genetic analysis. Predicted climate-induced environmental change will likely influence the spatial and temporal extent of overlap in these two sibling species. Ultimately, this may alter the balance between current isolating mechanisms with consequences for species integrity and fitness.

Dataset Information

Sympatry and interference of divergent Microbotryum pathogen species.

Publications

Sympatry and interference of divergent <i>Microbotryum</i> pathogen species.

Similar Datasets

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