title: Genetic diversity and population structure ofRaffaelea quercus-mongolicae,a fungus associated with oak mortality in South Korea.
abstract: Raffaelea quercus-mongolicaeis a fungus associated with oak wilt and deemed to cause extensive oak mortality in South Korea. Since the discovery of this fungus on a dead Mongolian oak (Quercus mongolica) in 2004, the mortality continued to spread southwards in South Korea. Despite continued expansion of the disease and associated significant impacts on forest ecosystems, information is lacking about the origin and genetic diversity ofR. quercus-mongolicae. Restriction-site-Associated DNA (RAD) sequencing was used to assess genetic diversity and population structure among five populations (provinces) ofR. quercus-mongolicaein South Korea. In total, 179 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified among 2,639 RAD loci across the nuclear genome of the 54R. quercus-mongolicaeisolates (0.0012 SNPs per bp), which displayed an overall low expected heterozygosity and no apparent population structure. The low genetic diversity and no apparent population structure among South Korean populations of this ambrosia beetle-vectored fungus supports the hypothesis that this fungus was introduced to South Korea.
authors.affiliation: Department of Forestry, Environment and Systems, Kookmin University, Seoul 02707, South Korea.
authors.forename: M-S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences and Institute for Bioinformatics and Evolutionary Studies, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83844, USA.
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Hohenlohe
authors.affiliation: Division of Forest Insect Pests and Diseases, Korea Forest Research Institute, Seoul 02707, South Korea.
authors.forename: K-H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Division of Forest Insect Pests and Diseases, Korea Forest Research Institute, Seoul 02707, South Korea.
authors.forename: S-T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Seo
authors.affiliation: USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Moscow, ID 83843, USA.
authors.forename: N B
authors.initials: NB
authors.lastname: Klopfenstein