1. Allopatric Plant Pathogen Population Divergence following Disease Emergence.
- Author
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Castillo, Andreina I., Bojanini, Isabel, Hongyu Chen, Kandel, Prem P., De La Fuente, Leonardo, and Almeida, Rodrigo P. P.
- Subjects
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PHYTOPATHOGENIC microorganisms , *PLANT populations , *XYLELLA fastidiosa , *NUCLEOTIDE sequence , *GRAPE diseases & pests , *GENES - Abstract
Within the landscape of globally distributed pathogens, populations differentiate via both adaptive and nonadaptive forces. Individual populations are likely to show unique trends of genetic diversity, host-pathogen interaction, and ecological adaptation. In plant pathogens, allopatric divergence may occur particularly rapidly within simplified agricultural monoculture landscapes. As such, the study of plant pathogen populations in monocultures can highlight the distinct evolutionary mechanisms that lead to local genetic differentiation. Xylella fastidiosa is a plant pathogen known to infect and damage multiple monocultures worldwide. One subspecies, Xylella fastidiosa subsp. fastidiosa, was first introduced to the United States ;150 years ago, where it was found to infect and cause disease in grapevines (Pierce's disease of grapevines, or PD). Here, we studied PD-causing subsp. fastidiosa populations, with an emphasis on those found in the United States. Our study shows that following their establishment in the United States, PD-causing strains likely split into populations on the East and West Coasts. This diversification has occurred via both changes in gene content (gene gain/loss events) and variations in nucleotide sequence (mutation and recombination). In addition, we reinforce the notion that PD-causing populations within the United States acted as the source for subsequent subsp. fastidiosa outbreaks in Europe and Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2021
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