Evolution of disease response genes in loblolly pine: insights from candidate genes.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Host-pathogen interactions that may lead to a competitive co-evolution of virulence and resistance mechanisms present an attractive system to study molecular evolution because strong, recent (or even current) selective pressure is expected at many genomic loci. However, it is unclear whether these selective forces would act to preserve existing diversity, promote novel diversity, or reduce linked neutral diversity during rapid fixation of advantageous alleles. In plants, the lack of adaptive immunity places a larger burden on genetic diversity to ensure survival of plant populations. This burden is even greater if the generation time of the plant is much longer than the generation time of the pathogen.

Methodology/principal findings

Here, we present nucleotide pol

SUBMITTER: Ersoz ES 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2997792 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature