Mixed mating in natural populations of the chestnut blight fungus, Cryphonectria parasitica

Marra, Robert E.; Cortesi, P.; Bissegger, Martin; Milgroom, Michael G.

doi:10.1038/sj.hdy.6800492

Cited by 41 publications

(32 citation statements)

References 65 publications

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“…The literature on mating systems in fungi is, however, unfortunately blurred by the pervasive confusion between haploid selfing and diploid selfing. For instance, a study on the ascomycete pathogen Cryphonectria parasitica, responsible for the chestnut blight, claims to have shown that this ascomycete has a predominantly outcrossing mating system (Marra et al. , 2004).…”

Section: Modes Of Reproduction and Mating Systems In Naturementioning

confidence: 99%

Sex, outcrossing and mating types: unsolved questions in fungi and beyond

Billiard¹,

López‐Villavicencio²,

Hood³

et al. 2012

J of Evolutionary Biology

209

262

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International audienceVariability in the way organisms reproduce raises numerous, and still unsolved, questions in evolutionary biology. In this study, we emphasize that fungi deserve a much greater emphasis in efforts to address these questions because of their multiple advantages as model eukaryotes. A tremendous diversity of reproductive modes and mating systems can be found in fungi, with many evolutionary transitions among closely related species. In addition, fungi show some peculiarities in their mating systems that have received little attention so far, despite the potential for providing insights into important evolutionary questions. In particular, selfing can occur at the haploid stage in addition to the diploid stage in many fungi, which is generally not possible in animals and plants but has a dramatic influence upon the structure of genetic systems. Fungi also present several advantages that make them tractable models for studies in experimental evolution. Here, we briefly review the unsolved questions and extant hypotheses about the evolution and maintenance of asexual vs. sexual reproduction and of selfing vs. outcrossing, focusing on fungal life cycles. We then propose how fungi can be used to address these long-standing questions and advance our understanding of sexual reproduction and mating systems across all eukaryotes

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Section: Modes Of Reproduction and Mating Systems In Naturementioning

confidence: 99%

Sex, outcrossing and mating types: unsolved questions in fungi and beyond

Billiard¹,

López‐Villavicencio²,

Hood³

et al. 2012

J of Evolutionary Biology

209

262

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Some data however also indicate that a preference for selfing versus outcrossing exists Hood & Antonovics, 2000), that is mediated through developmental patterns that favour intra-tetrad mating (Hood & Antonovics, 2000). At the opposite extreme, the ascomycete pathogen Cryphonectria parasitica, responsible for the chestnut blight, provides an example of a predominantly outcrossing mating system (Marra et al, 2004). In fact many fungi disperse primarily as haploid ascospores or basidiospores, which greatly favours outcrossing.…”

Section: Mating Systemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Population genetics of fungal diseases of plants

et al. 2008

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Summary :Although parasitism is one of the most common lifestyles among eukaryotes, population genetics on parasites lag far behind those on free-living organisms. Yet, the advent of molecular markers offers great tools for studying important processes, such as dispersal, mating systems, adaptation to host and speciation. Here we highlight some studies that used molecular markers to address questions about the population genetics of fungal (including oomycetes) plant pathogens. We conclude that population genetics approaches have provided tremendous insights into the biology of a few fungal parasites and warrant more wide use in phytopathology. However, theoretical advances are badly needed to best apply the existing methods. Fungi are of prime interest not only because they are major parasites of plants and animals, but they also constitute tractable and highly useful models for understanding evolutionary processes. We hope that the emerging field of fungal evolution will attract more evolutionary biologists in the near future. (0)1 69 15 73 53. E-mail: Tatiana.Giraud@u-psud.fr genetics studies have also valuable practical applications, for instance for studying the evolution of drug resistance or new virulence. Another reason to study parasites is that they display a huge diversity of life cycles and lifestyles, thus providing great opportunity for comparative studies to test pathogen-specific questions or general issues about evolution. Nevertheless, the field of parasitology has yet to attract more evolutionary biologists. This is even truer for the field of phytopathology, despite the importance of crop diseases for human activities. Furthermore, there are few connections so far between scientists in the fields of parasitology and phytopathology despite their obvious common interests. Here we highlight some studies that used molecular markers to address questions about the population genetics of fungal plant pathogens, fungi being taken sensus lato, i.e. including oomycetes. We do not aim providing an exhaustive review, but instead we use selected examples, mainly from our own works, to illustrate peculiarities of the phytopathogenic lifestyle. We focus on the study of mating systems (i.e. selfing, outcrossing, clonality), between and within population dispersal and population structure due to host adaptation.

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“…However, the mating type designations obtained under laboratory conditions do not always reflect the situation in natural environments (Marra et al 2004;Marra and Milgroom 2001). Also, not all the individuals examined are necessarily equally fertile under the conditions tested, and this can lead to erroneously assigned mating types.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Both mating types in the heterothallic fungus Ophiostoma quercus contain MAT1-1 and MAT1-2 genes

et al. 2012

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In heterothallic Ascomycota, two opposite but distinct mating types control all sexual processes. Using mating crosses on agar plates, the heterothallic nature of the wood-inhabiting fungus Ophiostoma quercus was confirmed and mating types were assigned to 10 isolates. Primers were subsequently designed to target both the mating type 1 (MAT1-1) and 2 (MAT1-2) idiomorphs in these isolates. The results showed that all isolates contained sequence fragments representing both idiomorphs. This was unexpected, as each isolate from a heterothallic species would typically contain only one of the two possible MAT idiomorphs. An atypical mating system such as the one described in this study has not previously been encountered in any other Ascomycota mating locus described to date.

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Mixed mating in natural populations of the chestnut blight fungus, Cryphonectria parasitica

Cited by 41 publications

References 65 publications

Sex, outcrossing and mating types: unsolved questions in fungi and beyond

Sex, outcrossing and mating types: unsolved questions in fungi and beyond

Population genetics of fungal diseases of plants

Both mating types in the heterothallic fungus Ophiostoma quercus contain MAT1-1 and MAT1-2 genes

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