title: Diverse mechanisms shape the evolution of virulence factors in the potato late blight pathogen Phytophthora infestans sampled from China.
abstract: Evolution of virulence in plant pathogens is still poorly understood but the knowledge is important for the effective use of plant resistance and sustainable disease management. Spatial population dynamics of virulence, race and SSR markers in 140 genotypes sampled from seven geographic locations in China were compared to infer the mechanisms driving the evolution of virulence in Phytophthora infestans (P. infestans). All virulence types and a full spectrum of race complexity, ranging from the race able to infect the universally susceptible cultivar only to all differentials, were detected. Eight and two virulence factors were under diversifying and constraining selection respectively while no natural selection was detected in one of the virulence types. Further analyses revealed excesses in simple and complex races but deficiency in intermediate race and negative associations of annual mean temperature at the site from which pathogen isolates were collected with frequency of virulence to differentials and race complexity in the pathogen populations. These results suggest that host selection may interact with other factors such as climatic conditions in determining the evolutionary trajectory of virulence and race structure in P. infestans and global warming may slow down the emergence of new virulence in the pathogen.
authors.affiliation: Fujian Key Laboratory of Plant Virology, Institute of Plant Virology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, P. R. China.
authors.forename: E-Jiao
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Fujian Key Laboratory of Plant Virology, Institute of Plant Virology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Li-Na
authors.initials: LN
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Fujian Key Laboratory of Plant Virology, Institute of Plant Virology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Wen
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Fujian Key Laboratory of Plant Virology, Institute of Plant Virology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Mei
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Fujian Key Laboratory of Plant Virology, Institute of Plant Virology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Li-Ping
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Shang
authors.affiliation: Fujian Key Laboratory of Plant Virology, Institute of Plant Virology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, P. R. China.|Key Lab for Biopesticide and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Jiasui
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhan
mesh_terms: D002681:China; D002980:Climate; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D055750:Phytophthora infestans / Q000235:genetics* / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D012641:Selection, Genetic; D011198:Solanum tuberosum / Q000382:microbiology*; D062206:Spatial Analysis; D013696:Temperature; D014774:Virulence; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D037521:Virulence Factors