Multigene analysis suggests ecological speciation in the fungal pathogen Claviceps purpurea

Multigene analysis suggests ecological speciation in the fungal pathogen Claviceps purpurea

Claviceps purpurea is an important pathogen of grasses and source of novel chemical compounds. Three groups within this species (G1, G2 and G3) have been recognized based on habitat association, sclerotia and conidia morphology, as well as alkaloid production. These groups have further been supporte...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Molecular ecology Vol. 17; no. 9; pp. 2276 - 2286
Main Authors: DOUHAN, G.W, SMITH, M.E, HUYRN, K.L, WESTBROOK, A, BEERLI, P, FISHER, A.J
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Oxford, UK Oxford, UK : Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01-05-2008
Blackwell Publishing Ltd
Subjects:
Adaptation
Botany
Claviceps
Claviceps - genetics
Claviceps - isolation & purification
Claviceps purpurea
DNA, Fungal - genetics
Ecology
ecotypes
Evolutionary biology
Fungi
gene flow
genealogy
genes
Genes, Fungal
Genetic Speciation
genetic structure
genetic variation
habitats
internal transcribed spacers
Molecular biology
Mutation - genetics
nucleotide sequences
Phylogeny
plant pathogenic fungi
Population Dynamics
Population genetics
ribosomal DNA
sequence analysis
speciation
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Summary:Claviceps purpurea is an important pathogen of grasses and source of novel chemical compounds. Three groups within this species (G1, G2 and G3) have been recognized based on habitat association, sclerotia and conidia morphology, as well as alkaloid production. These groups have further been supported by Random Amplification of Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers, suggesting this species may be more accurately described as a species complex. However, all divergent ecotypes can coexist in sympatric populations with no obvious physical barriers to prevent gene flow. In this study, we used both phylogenetic and population genetic analyses to test for speciation within C. purpurea using DNA sequences from ITS, a RAS-like locus, and a portion of beta-tubulin. The G1 types are significantly divergent from the G2/G3 types based on each of the three loci and the combined dataset, whereas the G2/G3 types are more integrated with one another. Although the G2 and G3 lineages have not diverged as much as the G1 lineage based on DNA sequence data, the use of three DNA loci does reliably separate the G2 and G3 lineages. However, the population genetic analyses strongly suggest little to no gene flow occurring between the different ecotypes, and we argue that this process is driven by adaptations to ecological habitats; G1 isolates are associated with terrestrial grasses, G2 isolates are found in wet and shady environments, and G3 isolates are found in salt marsh habitats.
Bibliography:http://hdl.handle.net/10113/14159
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-294X.2008.03753.x
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ArticleID:MEC3753
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content type line 23
ISSN:0962-1083
1365-294X
DOI:10.1111/j.1365-294X.2008.03753.x