REPRODUCTIVE MODE OF CENTRAL EUROPEANFUSARIUM GRAMINEARUMANDF. CULMORUMPOPULATIONS

• Published in: Cereal research communications Vol. 36; pp. 625 - 629
• Main Authors: TÓTH, Beáta, VARGA, János, SZABÓ-HEVÉR, Ágnes, LEHOCZKIKRSJAK, Szabolcs, MESTERHÁZY, Ákos
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Akadémiai Kiadó 01.09.2008
• Subjects: Alleles; Animal reproduction; Datasets; Fungi; Fusarium; Observational research; Pathogens; Population genetics; Population structure; Sexual reproduction
• ISSN: 0133-3720; 1788-9170

Fusarium head blight caused mainly byFusarium graminearumandF. culmorumis the most important disease of wheat in Central Europe. WhileF. graminearumis homothallic, no sexual cycle has been observed inF. culmorum. Knowledge regarding the species distribution and population structure of these pathogens is important to estimate their significance for breeding. There are two fundamental means by which fungi and other organisms transmit genes to the next generation: through clonal reproduction or by sexual recombination. To clarify the population structures ofF. culmorumandF. graminearumin Central Europe, RAPD and IGS-RFLP data sets of the isolates were subjected to both the index of association tests and tree length tests. Our data indicate that the world-wideF. graminearumandF. culmorumpopulations have recombining structures, while both the HungarianF. culmorumandF. graminearumpopulations reproduce clonally. The frequent occurrence ofF. graminearumperithecia on corn residues indicates that this species undergoes a sexual cycle. Both mating type genes have been identified in each examinedF. graminearumisolate, while the heterothallic distribution of mating type genes inF. culmorumindicates that this species lost its sexual cycle relatively recently.