Plant Pathology (2018) 67, 741-749

J. Mlinarec, M. Jezic, J. Cosic and M. Curkovic-Perica (2018)
Multilocus PCR assay reveals high diversity of vegetative compatibility types in populations of Cryphonectria parasitica in Croatia
Plant Pathology 67 (3), 741-749
Abstract: The ascomycete fungus Cryphonectria parasitica, causal agent of chestnut blight, is probably one of the best known invasive fungal pathogens in forests of Europe and North America. Mycovirus that reduces virulence of C. parasitica can be used as a biocontrol agent of the chestnut blight. However, anastomosis-mediated virus transmission is limited by a vegetative (in)compatibility (vc) system involving at least six known diallelic vic genetic loci. This study looked at vegetative compatibility (vc) diversity in two populations of C. parasitica in Croatia. For that purpose, a PCR assay was validated and implemented using already known/published and newly designed primers for amplification of six known vic loci. The vc genotypes determined by PCR for 158 C. parasitica isolates investigated in this study were in complete agreement with the vc genotypes determined by pairwise co-culturing of the same isolates, revealing the specificity and accuracy of the PCR-based molecular vic genotyping assay. Twenty-six unique vc genotypes were found among 158 isolates, and 19 vc types per population, which makes Croatian C. parasitica populations among the most diverse in Europe regarding the number of vc types and genetic diversity. Low values of multilocus linkage disequilibrium suggest sexual reproduction as a major contributor to high C. parasitica genetic diversity in studied populations.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Mirna Curkovic Perica

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
general biology - morphology - evolution

---

Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Cryphonectria parasitica		Croatia