title: Population Genetics of Hirsutella rhossiliensis, a Dominant Parasite of Cyst Nematode Juveniles on a Continental Scale.
abstract: Hirsutella rhossiliensis is a parasite of juvenile nematodes, effective against a diversity of plant-parasitic nematodes. Its global distribution on various nematode hosts and its genetic variation for several geographic regions have been reported, while the global population genetic structure and factors underlying patterns of genetic variation of H. rhossiliensis are unclear. In this study, 87 H. rhossiliensis strains from five nematode species (Globodera sp., Criconemella xenoplax, Rotylenchus robustus, Heterodera schachtii, and Heterodera glycines) in Europe, the United States, and China were investigated by multilocus sequence analyses. A total of 280 variable sites (frequency, 0.6%) at eight loci and six clustering in high accordance with geographic populations or host nematode-associated populations were identified. Although H. rhossiliensis is currently recognized as an asexual fungus, recombination events were frequently detected. In addition, significant genetic isolation by geography and nematode hosts was revealed. Overall, our analyses showed that recombination, geographic isolation, and nematode host adaptation have played significant roles in the evolutionary history of H. rhossiliensis IMPORTANCE: H. rhossiliensis has great potential for use as a biocontrol agent to control nematodes in a sustainable manner as an endoparasitic fungus. Therefore, this study has important implications for the use of H. rhossiliensis as a biocontrol agent and provides interesting insights into the biology of this species.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Niuniu
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: School of Life Sciences, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, China.
authors.forename: Yongjie
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Xianzhi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Chi
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Shu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: M Imran
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Hamid
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Muzammil
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hussain
authors.affiliation: Southern Research and Outreach Center, University of Minnesota, Waseca, Minnesota, USA.
authors.forename: Senyu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Jianping
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China xiangmc@im.ac.cn.
authors.forename: Meichun
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Xiang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Xingzhong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D000818:Animals; D002681:China; D003560:Cysts / Q000382:microbiology; D005060:Europe; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions; D006999:Hypocreales / Q000235:genetics*; D008018:Life Cycle Stages; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D014431:Tylenchoidea / Q000254:growth & development / Q000382:microbiology*