Host immune responses accelerate pathogen evolution.

ABSTRACT: Pathogens face a hostile and often novel environment when infecting a new host, and adaptation is likely to be an important determinant of the success in colonization and establishment. We hypothesized that resistant hosts will impose stronger selection on pathogens than susceptible hosts, which should accelerate pathogen evolution through selection biased toward effector genes. To test this hypothesis, we conducted an experimental evolution study on Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri (Xcc) in a susceptible plant species and a resistant plant species. We performed 55 rounds of repeated reinoculation of Xcc through susceptible host grapefruit (isolates G1, G2, G3) and resistant host kumquat (isolates K1, K2, K3). Consequently, only K1 and K3 isolates lost their ability to elicit a hypersensitiv

SUBMITTER: Trivedi P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3930326 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature