Survey and genetic variation among Botrytis cinerea isolates collected from protected crops along the Syrian Coast

Botrytis cinerea, or gray mold, is a necrotrophic fungal pathogen of hundreds of plant species. The genetic diversity of B. cinerea may contribute to its broad host range; however, the level and structure of genetic variation at pathogenesis-associated loci has not been described. B. cinerea possesses six distinct cell-wall-degrading polygalacturonases (PGs), enzymes of demonstrated importance to pathogenesis and interaction with host plant defenses. Sequencing a collection of 34 B. cinerea isolates at three PG-encoding loci, BcPG1, BcPG2, and BcPG3, revealed limited evidence of host-mediated genetic subdivision within loci, yet suggested differences in the action of evolutionary forces among loci. BcPG1 and BcPG2 are highly polymorphic, particularly when compared with previously published data from nonpathogenicity loci, whereas BcPG3 is relatively conserved. Sequence variation at BcPG1 and BcPG2 did not appear to be associated with virulence on Arabidopsis leaves; however, BcPG2 variation showed a statistically significant association with growth rate on pectin. Rather than providing evidence for host-mediated genetic subdivision at individual PG loci, our data support specialization among PGs and the potential diversification of PGs interacting directly with host defenses.

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Characterization of the genetic variation and fungicide resistance in Botrytis cinerea populations on rooibos seedlings in the Western Cape of South Africa

European Journal of Plant Pathology ◽

10.1007/s10658-013-0175-x ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 136 (2) ◽

pp. 407-417 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Bernard A. Wessels ◽

Sandra C. Lamprecht ◽

Celeste C. Linde ◽

Paul H. Fourie ◽

Lizel Mostert

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

Genetic Variation ◽

Botrytis Cinerea ◽

Fungicide Resistance ◽

Western Cape

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Genomic prediction of strawberry resistance to postharvest fruit decay caused by the fungal pathogen Botrytis cinerea

G3 Genes|Genome|Genetics ◽

10.1093/g3journal/jkab378 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Stefan Petrasch ◽

Saskia D Mesquida-Pesci ◽

Dominique D A Pincot ◽

Mitchell J Feldmann ◽

Cindy M López ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Genetic Variation ◽

Shelf Life ◽

Botrytis Cinerea ◽

Fruit Quality ◽

Genomic Prediction ◽

Genetic Correlations ◽

Gray Mold ◽

Economic Losses ◽

Soluble Solid Content ◽

Narrow Sense Heritability

Abstract Gray mold, a disease of strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) caused by the ubiquitous necrotroph Botrytis cinerea, renders fruit unmarketable and causes economic losses in the postharvest supply chain. To explore the feasibility of selecting for increased resistance to gray mold, we undertook genetic and genomic prediction studies in strawberry populations segregating for fruit quality and shelf life traits hypothesized to pleiotropically affect susceptibility. As predicted, resistance to gray mold was heritable but quantitative and genetically complex. While every individual was susceptible, the speed of symptom progression and severity differed. Narrow-sense heritability ranged from 0.38 to 0.71 for lesion diameter (LD) and 0.39 to 0.44 for speed of emergence of external mycelium (EM). Even though significant additive genetic variation was observed for LD and EM, the phenotypic ranges were comparatively narrow and genome-wide analyses did not identify any large-effect loci. Genomic selection (GS) accuracy ranged from 0.28 to 0.59 for LD and 0.37 to 0.47 for EM. Additive genetic correlations between fruit quality and gray mold resistance traits were consistent with prevailing hypotheses: LD decreased as titratable acidity increased, whereas EM increased as soluble solid content decreased and firmness increased. We concluded that phenotypic and GS could be effective for reducing LD and increasing EM, especially in long shelf life populations, but that a significant fraction of the genetic variation for resistance to gray mold was caused by the pleiotropic effects of fruit quality traits that differ among market and shelf life classes.

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Expansive Phenotypic Landscape of Botrytis cinerea Shows Differential Contribution of Genetic Diversity and Plasticity

Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions ◽

10.1094/mpmi-09-15-0196-r ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 29 (4) ◽

pp. 287-298 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Jason A. Corwin ◽

Anushriya Subedy ◽

Robert Eshbaugh ◽

Daniel J. Kliebenstein

Keyword(s):

Genetic Diversity ◽

Genetic Variation ◽

Botrytis Cinerea ◽

Phenotypic Variation ◽

Genotypic Variation ◽

Environmental Variation ◽

In Planta ◽

Phenotypic Differences ◽

Relative Contribution

The modern evolutionary synthesis suggests that both environmental variation and genetic diversity are critical determinants of pathogen success. However, the relative contribution of these two sources of variation is not routinely measured. To estimate the relative contribution of plasticity and genetic diversity for virulence-associated phenotypes in a generalist plant pathogen, we grew a population of 15 isolates of Botrytis cinerea from throughout the world, under a variety of in vitro and in planta conditions. Under in planta conditions, phenotypic differences between the isolates were determined by the combination of genotypic variation within the pathogen and environmental variation. In contrast, phenotypic differences between the isolates under in vitro conditions were predominantly determined by genetic variation in the pathogen. Using a correlation network approach, we link the phenotypic variation under in vitro experimental conditions to phenotypic variation during plant infection. This study indicates that there is a high level of phenotypic variation within B. cinerea that is controlled by a mixture of genetic variation, environment, and genotype × environment. This argues that future experiments into the pathogenicity of B. cinerea must account for the genetic and environmental variation within the pathogen to better sample the potential phenotypic space of the pathogen.

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Genomic Prediction of Strawberry Resistance to Postharvest Fruit Decay Caused by the Fungal Pathogen Botrytis cinerea

10.1101/2021.06.08.447540 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Steven J. Knapp ◽

Barbara Blanco-Ulate ◽

Mitchell J. Feldmann ◽

Dominique D. A. Pincot ◽

Glenn S. Cole ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Genetic Variation ◽

Shelf Life ◽

Genomic Selection ◽

Botrytis Cinerea ◽

Fruit Quality ◽

Genomic Prediction ◽

Genetic Correlations ◽

Gray Mold ◽

Economic Losses ◽

Soluble Solid Content

Gray mold, a disease of strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa) caused by the ubiquitous necrotroph Botrytis cinerea, renders fruit unmarketable and causes economic losses in the postharvest supply chain. To explore the feasibility of selecting for increased resistance to gray mold, we undertook genetic and genomic prediction studies in strawberry populations segregating for fruit quality and shelf life traits hypothesized to pleiotropically affect susceptibility. As predicted, resistance to gray mold was heritable but quantitative and genetically complex. While every individual was susceptible, the speed of symptom progression and severity differed. Narrow-sense heritability ranged from 0.38-0.71 for lesion diameter (LD) and 0.39-0.44 for speed of emergence of external mycelium (EM). Even though significant additive genetic variation was observed for LD and EM, the phenotypic ranges were comparatively narrow and genome-wide analyses did not identify any large effect loci. Genomic selection accuracy ranged from 0.28-0.59 for LD and 0.37-0.47 for EM. Additive genetic correlations between fruit quality and gray mold resistance traits were consistent with prevailing hypotheses: LD decreased as titratable acidity increased, whereas EM increased as soluble solid content decreased and firmness increased. We concluded that phenotypic and genomic selection could be effective for reducing LD and increasing EM, especially in long shelf life populations, but that a significant fraction of the genetic variation for resistance to gray mold was caused by the pleiotropic effects of fruit quality traits that differ among market and shelf life classes.

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