Open AccessTemporal and Spatial Genetic Population Structure of Cryphonectria parasitica and Its Associated Hypovirus Across an Invasive Range of Chestnut Blight in Europe
Author(s) -
Marin Ježić,
Janine Schwarz,
Simone Prospero,
Kiril Sotirovski,
Mihajlo Risteski,
Mirna ĆurkovićPerica,
Lucija Nuskern,
Ljiljana Krstin,
Zorana Katanić,
Ema Maleničić,
Igor Poljak,
Marilena Idžojtić,
Daniel Rigling
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
phytopathology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.264
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1943-7684
pISSN - 0031-949X
DOI - 10.1094/phyto-09-20-0405-r
Subject(s) - cryphonectria , chestnut blight , biology , genetic diversity , population , range (aeronautics) , microsatellite , botany , genetics , fungus , virulence , demography , gene , allele , materials science , sociology , composite material
Chestnut blight has spread throughout Europe since the introduction of its causal agent, Cryphonectria parasitica, >70 years ago. In our study, we analyzed the diversity of vegetative compatibility (vc) and microsatellite genotypes of C. parasitica, as well as sequence diversity of Cryphonectria hypovirus 1 (CHV1) in six populations from Switzerland, Croatia, and North Macedonia. Resampling of local populations that were already investigated more than a decade ago allowed us to analyze the spatial and temporal population structure across an invasive range of the pathogen in Europe. Regardless of which genetic marker was used, the >60-year-old Swiss and Croatian populations had high population diversity, whereas more recent North Macedonian populations were mostly clonal. These diversity differences between the investigated populations remained stable over time. A high diversity of CHV1 was observed in all three countries, with North Macedonian strains forming a separate cluster from strains obtained in other countries. No correlation between vc diversity and CHV1 prevalence was observed, suggesting a well-established and maintained natural hypovirulence in all countries, further corroborated by an observed increase in genetic diversity of Croatian C. parasitica populations over time, without collapse of CHV1 prevalence.