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- Title
GENETIC VARIATION INASTERIONELLA FORMOSA(BACILLARIOPHYCEAE): IS IT LINKED TO FREQUENT EPIDEMICS OF HOST-SPECIFIC PARASITIC FUNGI?
- Authors
De Bruin, Arnout; Ibelings, Bas W.; Rijkeboer, Machteld; Brehm, Michaela; van Donk, Ellen
- Abstract
Understanding of the genetic basis for susceptibility and resistance is still lacking for most aquatic host–parasite systems, for instance, for phytoplankton and their fungal parasites. Fungal parasites can have significant effects on phytoplankton populations, mainly through their ability to decimate algal host populations during epidemics. We used random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) analysis to study levels of genetic variation within a population of the freshwater diatomAsterionella formosaHassall in relation to parasitism by the obligate, host-specific, fungal parasiteZygorhizidium planktonicumCanter. The level of genetic variation within theA.formosapopulation in Lake Maarsseveen, The Netherlands was found to be high despite the presumed absence or very low frequency of sexual reproduction in this species, the limited gene flow, and the severity of parasite attack that would purge the population from susceptible genotypes. RAPD analysis revealed four distinct banding patterns, with 3 of 21 markers (14%) being polymorphic. In AFLP analysis, every single isolate ofA.formosashowed a unique banding pattern, and 120 of the 210 AFLP markers (57%) were found to be polymorphic. Furthermore, character compatibility analysis revealed that sexual reproduction may be one of the mechanisms that generates and maintains genetic variation in theA.formosapopulation in Lake Maarsseveen. The presence of genetic variation inA.formosawas reflected in infection experiments, which showed that genetically differentA. formosastrains differed in their susceptibility to variousZ. planktonicumstrains and that parasite strains differed in their ability to infect particular host strains.
- Subjects
FUNGI; PARASITIC plants; POPULATION genetics; BIODIVERSITY; GENETIC polymorphisms; PARASITES
- Publication
Journal of Phycology, 2004, Vol 40, Issue 5, p823
- ISSN
0022-3646
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1111/j.1529-8817.2004.04006.x