Pathogen and host genotype differently affect pathogen fitness through their effects on different life-history stages.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Adaptation of pathogens to their hosts depends critically on factors affecting pathogen reproductive rate. While pathogen reproduction is the end result of an intricate interaction between host and pathogen, the relative contributions of host and pathogen genotype to variation in pathogen life history within the host are not well understood. Untangling these contributions allows us to identify traits with sufficient genetic variation for selection to act and to identify mechanisms of coevolution between pathogens and their hosts. We investigated the effects of pathogen and host genotype on three life-history components of pathogen fitness; infection efficiency, latent period, and sporulation capacity, in the oat crown rust fungus, Puccinia coronata f.sp. avenae, as it in

SUBMITTER: Bruns E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3483255 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature