scholarly journals Characterization of Pyricularia grisea in the United States Using Independent Genetic and Molecular Markers

2000 ◽  
Vol 90 (12) ◽  
pp. 1396-1404 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. C. Correll ◽  
T. L. Harp ◽  
J. C. Guerber ◽  
R. S. Zeigler ◽  
B. Liu ◽  
...  

A total of 540 isolates of Pyricularia grisea from rice in the United States were examined for vegetative compatibility, MGR586 DNA fingerprint diversity, and mating type based on hybridization with the mat1-1 and mat1-2 sexual mating type alleles. The collections contained both archived and contemporary field isolates representative of the known MGR586 lineages and races that occur throughout the United States. Complementary nitrate nonutilizing (nit) or sulfate nonutilizing (sul) mutants were used to assess vegetative compatibility in P. grisea. There was a complete correspondence between vegetative compatibility groups (VCGs), MGR586 lineage, and mating type among 527 contemporary isolates (collected between 1991 and 1997) from Arkansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, and Texas; all isolates in MGR586 lineages A, B, C, and D belonged to VCGs US-01, US-02, US-03, and US-04, respectively. In addition, all isolates tested in VCGs US-01 and US-04 had the mat1-1 mating type allele whereas those in VCGs US-02 and US-03 had the mat1-2 allele. The strict association of independent markers during this sample period was consistent with a strictly asexual mode of reproduction. However, examination of archived isolates collected in the 1970s and 1980s and contemporary isolates revealed an incongruent relationship between the independent markers. MGR586 C and E isolates were vegetatively compatible which indicated that multiple robust MGR586 delineated lineages could be nested within certain VCGs. Although isolates in lineages C and E were vegetatively compatible, they were of opposite mating type. Several hypotheses, including recombination, could account for the incongruence between the various markers. Among the eight MGR586 lineages (A through H) that occur in the United States, all isolates in lineages A, D, E, G, and H had the mat1-1 allele, whereas isolates in lineages B, C, and F had the mat1-2 allele. Nit mutants can be recovered relatively easy from P. grisea and should allow large numbers of individuals within a population to be assessed for vegetative compatibility. VCGs may prove to be an effective multilocus marker in P. grisea. Thus, VCGs should be a useful means for characterizing genetic structure in populations of the rice blast fungus worldwide, provide a useful genetic framework to assist in interpreting molecular population data, and may provide insight into potential sexual or asexual recombination events.

2008 ◽  
Vol 98 (1) ◽  
pp. 108-114 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y.-K. Jo ◽  
S. W. Chang ◽  
J. Rees ◽  
G. Jung

Nitrate-nonutilizing (nit) mutants were recovered for the first time from 21 isolates of Sclerotinia homoeocarpa collected in the United States. Mutants were selected from shredded mycelium of each isolate when cultured on water agar medium amended with 4% (wt/vol) potassium chlorate. The mutants could be classified into three phenotypes: nit1, nit3, and NitM, based on their growth on minimal medium (Czapek solution agar) supplemented with NaNO2 or hypoxanthine. Complementary heterokaryons were observed in pairings between different phenotypes of nit mutants derived from compatible isolates, but not in self-fusions or pairings between incompatible isolates. The vigor of prototrophic growth varied with isolates and mutant phenotypes. Strong and continuous heterokaryons, as well as weak and spontaneous ones, formed depending on pairings of nit mutants. Stable heterokaryons between compatible isolates, but apoptotic reactions between incompatible isolates, were observed immediately after hyphal fusion under the epifluorescence microscope. The 21 isolates used in this study, which were previously assigned into 11 different vegetative compatibility groups (VCGs) based on the formation of a barrage zone at the contact site of paired isolates on complete medium (potato dextrose agar), were regrouped into five VCGs based on heterokaryon formation between nit mutants on minimal medium.


1990 ◽  
Vol 36 (5) ◽  
pp. 352-358 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. P. Larkin ◽  
D. L. Hopkins ◽  
F. N. Martin

Over 250 isolates of Fusarium oxysporum collected from infected watermelon plants and soil samples from a pathogen-infested field, as well as known isolates of F. oxysporum f. sp. niveum imported from various locations around the world, were tested for pathogenicity on watermelon and used to determine vegetative compatibility groups (VCGs) within F. oxysporum f. sp. niveum. Vegetative compatibility was assessed on the basis of heterokaryon formation among nitrate-nonutilizing mutants. Race determinations were made by screening isolates on six different watermelon cultivars of varying resistance. All isolates of F. oxysporum f. sp. niveum belonged to one of three distinct VCGs, and were incompatible with isolates that were not pathogenic on watermelon. Isolates of F. oxysporum f. sp. niveum were subdivided into two races and there was a direct relationship between VCG and race. VCG 0080 consisted of race 1 isolates from five states of the United States, Taiwan, and Australia. VCG 0081 consisted solely of race 1 isolates from Florida. VCG 0082 was comprised solely of race 2 isolates, all of which were capable of causing severe wilt on all cultivars tested. Numerous Florida isolates were compatible with race 2 isolates from Texas and demonstrated comparable virulence on all cultivars, confirming the presence of race 2 in Florida. With F. oxysporum f. sp. niveum, vegetative compatibility can be utilized as an alternative or collaborative method to distinguish pathogenic from nonpathogenic strains of F. oxysporum and to differentiate subforma specialis virulence characteristics. Key words: fusarium wilt, nit mutants, watermelon.


1999 ◽  
Vol 89 (2) ◽  
pp. 182-188 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert L. Bowden ◽  
John F. Leslie

We developed a method for inducing sexual outcrosses in the homothallic Ascomycete fungus Gibberella zeae (anamorph: Fusarium graminearum). Strains were marked with different nitrate nonutilizing (nit) mutations, and vegetative compatibility groups served as additional markers in some crosses. Strains with complementary nit mutations were cocultured on carrot agar plates. Ascospores from individual perithecia were plated on a minimal medium (MM) containing nitrate as the sole nitrogen source. Crosses between different nit mutants segregated in expected ratios (3:1 nit-:nit+) from heterozygous perithecia. Analysis of vegetative compatibility groups of progeny of two crosses indicated two and three vegetative incompatibility (vic) genes segregating, respectively. For rapid testing of sexual recombination between nit mutants, perithecia were inverted over MM to deposit actively discharged ascospores. Development of proto-trophic wild-type colonies was taken as evidence of sexual recombination. Strains of G. zeae group 2 from Japan, Nepal, and South Africa, and from Indiana, Kansas, and Ohio in the United States were sexually interfertile. Four group 1 strains were not interfertile among themselves or with seven group 2 strains. Attempts to cross G. zeae with representatives of F. acuminatum, F. avenaceum, F. culmorum, F. crookwellense, F. oxysporum, and three mating populations of G. fujikuroi were not successful.


Plant Disease ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 97 (11) ◽  
pp. 1457-1469 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angela M. Iglesias-Garcia ◽  
Maria I. Villarroel-Zeballos ◽  
Chunda Feng ◽  
Lindsey J. du Toit ◽  
James C. Correll

In 2005, Verticillium dahliae was first reported to be pathogenic to spinach seed crops in the Pacific Northwest, with symptoms only developing after initiation of the reproductive stage of plant growth, and to be prevalent on commercial spinach seed lots produced in Denmark, The Netherlands, and the United States. In this study, the genetic diversity, pathogenicity, and virulence were examined for a collection of isolates of Verticillium spp. from spinach as well as other hosts (alfalfa, cotton, lettuce, mint, peppermint, potato, radish, and tomato) from various countries and from different vegetative compatibility groups (VCGs). Of a total of 210 isolates of V. dahliae obtained from spinach seed produced in Denmark, the Netherlands, New Zealand, or the United States, 128 were assigned to VCG 4B (89% of 91 U.S. isolates, 86% of 42 isolates from the Netherlands, 19% of 43 Denmark isolates, and 8% of 13 New Zealand isolates), 65 to VCG 2B (92% of the New Zealand isolates, 79% of the Denmark isolates, 14% of the Netherlands isolates, and 9% of the U.S. isolates), and 3 to VCG 2A (2% of each of the Denmark and U.S. isolates, and 0% of the Netherlands and New Zealand isolates); 14 isolates could not be assigned to a VCG. Although little variation in the sequence of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of ribosomal DNA was observed among isolates within each Verticillium sp., the ITS region readily differentiated isolates of the species V. dahliae, V. tricorpus, and Gibellulopsis nigrescens (formerly V. nigrescens) obtained from spinach seed. Greenhouse pathogenicity assays on spinach, cotton, lettuce, and tomato plants using isolates of V. dahliae (n = 29 to 34 isolates), V. tricorpus (n = 3), G. nigrescens (n = 2), and V. albo-atrum (n = 1) originally obtained from these hosts as well as from alfalfa, mint, peppermint, potato, and radish, revealed a wide range in virulence among the isolates. Isolates of V. tricorpus and G. nigrescens recovered from spinach seed and an isolate of V. albo-atrum from alfalfa were not pathogenic on spinach. In addition, isolates of V. dahliae from mint and peppermint were not pathogenic or only weakly virulent on the hosts evaluated. Although there was a wide range in virulence among the isolates of V. dahliae tested, all of the V. dahliae isolates caused Verticillium wilt symptoms on spinach, lettuce, tomato, and cotton. None of the isolates of V. dahliae showed host specificity. These results indicate that Verticillium and related species associated with spinach seed display substantial variability in virulence and pathogenicity to spinach and other plants but the V. dahliae isolates were restricted to three VCGs.


Plant Disease ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 85 (3) ◽  
pp. 297-302 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. I. Douhan ◽  
D. A. Johnson

The vegetative compatibility of 128 isolates of Verticillium dahliae from spearmint and peppermint in the western and midwestern United States was determined. Nit mutants were used to assign isolates to vegetative compatibility groups (VCGs). All isolates were assigned to VCG 2B except for one assigned to VCG 2A and two assigned to VCG 4A. VCG 2 isolates were found in all commercial mint growing regions, while the two VCG 4A isolates originated from southern Idaho. Pathogenicity assays on mint were performed using isolates from mint and other hosts, and pathogenicity assays were conducted on the potato cultivar Russet Norkotah using mint and potato isolates. Isolates originating from mint were significantly more aggressive on mint than were other host isolates, indicating that mint isolates were host-adapted. VCG 4A isolates from mint and potatoes were significantly more aggressive on potato than VCG 4B potato isolates and VCG 2B mint isolates. We speculate that the low VCG diversity of mint isolates may be due to the introduction of a single aggressive strain into Washington State mint fields via infected rhizomes.


2008 ◽  
Vol 98 (11) ◽  
pp. 1205-1211 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. B. Martins ◽  
L. A. Maffia ◽  
E. S. G. Mizubuti

Cercospora leaf spot is a destructive fungal disease that has become a threat to the coffee industry in Brazil. Nevertheless, little is known about populations of its causal agent, Cercospora coffeicola. We evaluated the potential of using nitrogen-nonutilizing (nit) mutants and vegetative compatibility groups (VCGs) to characterize the genetic variability of the C. coffeicola population associated with coffee plantings in Minas Gerais state (MG), Brazil. A total of 90 monosporic isolates were obtained from samples collected according to a hierarchical sampling scheme: (i) state geographical regions (Sul, Mata, and Triângulo), and (ii) production systems (conventional and organic). Nit mutants were obtained and 28 VCGs were identified. The 10 largest VCGs included 72.31% of all isolates, whereas each of the remaining 18 VCGs included 1.54% of the isolates. Isolates of the largest VCGs were found in the three regions sampled. Based on the frequencies of VCGs at each sampled level, we estimated the Shannon diversity index, as well as its richness and evenness components. Genetic variability was high at all hierarchical levels, and a high number of VCGs was found in populations of C. coffeicola associated with both conventional and organic coffee plantings.


Plant Disease ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 89 (3) ◽  
pp. 237-240 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matias Pasquali ◽  
Flavia Dematheis ◽  
Giovanna Gilardi ◽  
Maria Lodovica Gullino ◽  
Angelo Garibaldi

Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lactucae, the causal agent of Fusarium wilt of lettuce, has been reported in three continents in the last 10 years. Forty-seven isolates obtained from infected plants and seed in Italy, the United States, Japan, and Taiwan were evaluated for pathogenicity and vegetative compatibility. Chlorate-resistant, nitrate-nonutilizing mutants were used to determine genetic relatedness among isolates from different locations. Using the vegetative compatibility group (VCG) approach, all Italian and American isolates, type 2 Taiwanese isolates, and a Japanese race 1 were assigned to the major VCG 0300. Taiwanese isolates type 1 were assigned to VCG 0301. The hypothesis that propagules of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lactucae that caused epidemics on lettuce in 2001-02 in Italian fields might have spread via import and use of contaminated seeds is discussed.


Horizons ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 149-154
Author(s):  
John P. Slattery

This contribution will examine several theological methods used to understand morally egregious examples of historical dissent in the Catholic Church. From the 1600s to the late 1800s, large numbers of Catholics in the young United States dissented from the Holy See in one particularly egregious manner: their support for and defense of chattel slavery and the Atlantic slave trade. While chattel slavery is universally declared horrific and immoral, its vestiges have not been erased from church history, nor has its influence been eradicated in the modern experience of Christians in the United States today. After naming the contemporary problem caused by this historical example of dissent and analyzing theological approaches to ameliorate this problem, I will propose a theological-historical approach that may offer better solutions in the future.


2018 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 919-937 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruth Berins Collier ◽  
V.B. Dubal ◽  
Christopher L. Carter

Platform companies disrupt not only the economic sectors they enter, but also the regulatory regimes that govern those sectors. We examine Uber in the United States as a case of regulating this disruption in different arenas: cities, state legislatures, and judicial venues. We find that the politics of Uber regulation does not conform to existing models of regulation. We describe instead a pattern of “disruptive regulation”, characterized by a challenger-incumbent cleavage, in two steps. First, an existing regulatory regime is not deregulated but successfully disregarded by a new entrant. Second, the politics of subsequently regulating the challenger leads to a dual regulatory regime. In the case of Uber, disruptive regulation takes the form of challenger capture, an elite-driven pattern, in which the challenger has largely prevailed. It is further characterized by the surrogate representation of dispersed actors—customers and drivers—who do not have autonomous power and who rely instead on shifting alignments with the challenger and incumbent. In its surrogate capacity in city and state regulation, Uber has frequently mobilized large numbers of customers and drivers to lobby for policy outcomes that allow it to continue to provide service on terms it finds acceptable. Because drivers have reaped less advantage from these alignments, labor issues have been taken up in judicial venues, again primarily by surrogates (usually plaintiffs’ attorneys) but to date have not been successful.


2015 ◽  
Vol 39 (156) ◽  
pp. 620-642 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tyler Anbinder ◽  
Hope McCaffrey

AbstractDespite the extensive scholarly literature on both the Great Famine in Ireland and the Famine immigration to the United States, little is known about precisely which Irish men and women emigrated from Ireland in the Famine era. This article makes use of a new dataset comprised of 18,000 Famine-era emigrants (2 per cent of the total) who landed at the port of New York from 1846 to 1854 and whose ship manifests list their Irish county of origin. The data is used to estimate the number of emigrants from each county in Ireland who arrived in New York during the Famine era. Because three-quarters of all Irish immigrants intending to settle in the United States took ships to New York, this dataset provides the best means available for estimating the origins of the United States’s Famine immigrants. The authors find that while the largest number of Irish immigrants came from some of Ireland’s most populous counties, such as Cork, Galway, and Tipperary, surprisingly large numbers also originated in Counties Cavan, Meath, Dublin, and Queen’s County, places not usually associated with the highest levels of emigration. The data also indicates that the overall level of emigration in the Famine years was significantly higher than scholars have previously understood.


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