Population structure and diversity in sexual and asexual populations of the pathogenic fungus Melampsora lini.

ABSTRACT: Many pathogens undergo both sexual and asexual reproduction to varying degrees, yet the ecological, genetic and evolutionary consequences of different reproductive strategies remain poorly understood. Here we investigate the population genetic structure of wild populations of the plant pathogen Melampsora lini on its host Linum marginale, using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers, two genes underlying pathogen virulence, and phenotypic variation in virulence. In Australia, M. lini occurs as two genetically and geographically divergent lineages (AA and AB), one of which is completely asexual (AB), and the other able to reproduce both clonally and sexually (AA). To quantify the genetic and evolutionary consequences of these different life histories, we sampled five populati

SUBMITTER: Barrett LG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2653454 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature