scholarly journals Gene Flow between Divergent Cereal- and Grass-Specific Lineages of the Rice Blast Fungus Magnaporthe oryzae

mBio ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierre Gladieux ◽  
Bradford Condon ◽  
Sebastien Ravel ◽  
Darren Soanes ◽  
Joao Leodato Nunes Maciel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Flow ◽  
South America ◽  
Magnaporthe Oryzae ◽  
Rice Blast ◽  
Evolutionary History ◽  
Blast Disease ◽  
Whole Genome ◽  
Disease Emergence ◽  
Wheat Blast ◽  
History Of

ABSTRACT Delineating species and epidemic lineages in fungal plant pathogens is critical to our understanding of disease emergence and the structure of fungal biodiversity and also informs international regulatory decisions. Pyricularia oryzae (syn. Magnaporthe oryzae) is a multihost pathogen that infects multiple grasses and cereals, is responsible for the most damaging rice disease (rice blast), and is of growing concern due to the recent introduction of wheat blast to Bangladesh from South America. However, the genetic structure and evolutionary history of M. oryzae, including the possible existence of cryptic phylogenetic species, remain poorly defined. Here, we use whole-genome sequence information for 76 M. oryzae isolates sampled from 12 grass and cereal genera to infer the population structure of M. oryzae and to reassess the species status of wheat-infecting populations of the fungus. Species recognition based on genealogical concordance, using published data or extracting previously used loci from genome assemblies, failed to confirm a prior assignment of wheat blast isolates to a new species (Pyricularia graminis-tritici). Inference of population subdivisions revealed multiple divergent lineages within M. oryzae, each preferentially associated with one host genus, suggesting incipient speciation following host shift or host range expansion. Analyses of gene flow, taking into account the possibility of incomplete lineage sorting, revealed that genetic exchanges have contributed to the makeup of multiple lineages within M. oryzae. These findings provide greater understanding of the ecoevolutionary factors that underlie the diversification of M. oryzae and highlight the practicality of genomic data for epidemiological surveillance in this important multihost pathogen. IMPORTANCE Infection of novel hosts is a major route for disease emergence by pathogenic microorganisms. Understanding the evolutionary history of multihost pathogens is therefore important to better predict the likely spread and emergence of new diseases. Magnaporthe oryzae is a multihost fungus that causes serious cereal diseases, including the devastating rice blast disease and wheat blast, a cause of growing concern due to its recent spread from South America to Asia. Using whole-genome analysis of 76 fungal strains from different hosts, we have documented the divergence of M. oryzae into numerous lineages, each infecting a limited number of host species. Our analyses provide evidence that interlineage gene flow has contributed to the genetic makeup of multiple M. oryzae lineages within the same species. Plant health surveillance is therefore warranted to safeguard against disease emergence in regions where multiple lineages of the fungus are in contact with one another.

scholarly journals Gene flow between divergent cereal‐ and grass-specific lineages of the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierre Gladieux ◽  
Bradford Condon ◽  
Sebastien Ravel ◽  
Darren Soanes ◽  
Joao Leodato Nunes Maciel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Flow ◽  
South America ◽  
Magnaporthe Oryzae ◽  
Rice Blast ◽  
Evolutionary History ◽  
Whole Genome ◽  
Disease Emergence ◽  
Wheat Blast ◽  
Host Pathogen ◽  
History Of

AbstractDelineating species and epidemic lineages in fungal plant pathogens is critical to our understanding of disease emergence and the structure of fungal biodiversity, and also informs international regulatory decisions. Pyricularia oryzae (syn. Magnaporthe oryzae) is a multi-host pathogen that infects multiple grasses and cereals, is responsible for the most damaging rice disease (rice blast), and of growing concern due to the recent introduction of wheat blast to Bangladesh from South America. However, the genetic structure and evolutionary history of M. oryzae, including the possible existence of cryptic phylogenetic species, remain poorly defined. Here, we use whole-genome sequence information for 76 M. oryzae isolates sampled from 12 grass and cereal genera to infer the population structure of M. oryzae, and to reassess the species status of wheat-infecting populations of the fungus. Species recognition based on genealogical concordance, using published data or extracting previously-used loci from genome assemblies, failed to confirm a prior assignment of wheat blast isolates to a new species (Pyricularia graminis tritici). Inference of population subdivisions revealed multiple divergent lineages within M. oryzae, each preferentially associated with one host genus, suggesting incipient speciation following host shift or host range expansion. Analyses of gene flow, taking into account the possibility of incomplete lineage sorting, revealed that genetic exchanges have contributed to the makeup of multiple lineages within M. oryzae. These findings provide greater understanding of the eco-evolutionary factors that underlie the diversification of M. oryzae and highlight the practicality of genomic data for epidemiological surveillance in this important multi-host pathogen.ImportanceInfection of novel hosts is a major route for disease emergence by pathogenic micro-organisms. Understanding the evolutionary history of multi-host pathogens is therefore important to better predict the likely spread and emergence of new diseases. Magnaporthe oryzae is a multi-host fungus that causes serious cereal diseases, including the devastating rice blast disease, and wheat blast, a cause of growing concern due to its recent spread from South America to Asia. Using whole genome analysis of 76 fungal strains from different hosts, we have documented the divergence of M. oryzae into numerous lineages, each infecting a limited number of host species. Our analyses provide evidence that inter-lineage gene flow has contributed to the genetic makeup of multiple M. oryzae lineages within the same species. Plant health surveillance is therefore warranted to safeguard against disease emergence in regions where multiple lineages of the fungus are in contact with one another.

scholarly journals Population Structure and Pathotype Diversity of the Wheat Blast Pathogen Magnaporthe oryzae 25 Years After Its Emergence in Brazil

2014 ◽  
Vol 104 (1) ◽  
pp. 95-107 ◽  
Author(s):  
João L. Nunes Maciel ◽  
Paulo C. Ceresini ◽  
Vanina L. Castroagudin ◽  
Marcelo Zala ◽  
Gerrit H. J. Kema ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Population Structure ◽  
Gene Flow ◽  
South America ◽  
Magnaporthe Oryzae ◽  
Wheat Cultivars ◽  
Southern Brazil ◽  
Large Spatial Scale ◽  
Wheat Blast ◽  
Distrito Federal ◽  
Local Dispersal

Since its first report in Brazil in 1985, wheat blast, caused by Magnaporthe oryzae (anamorph: Pyricularia oryzae), has become increasingly important in South America, where the disease is still spreading. We used 11 microsatellite loci to elucidate the population structure of the wheat blast pathogen in wheat fields in central-western, southeastern, and southern Brazil. No subdivision was found among the wheat-infecting populations, consistent with high levels of gene flow across a large spatial scale. Although the clonal fraction was relatively high and the two mating type idiomorphs (MAT1-1 and MAT1-2) were not at similar frequencies, the clone-corrected populations from Distrito Federal and Goiás, Minas Triangle, and São Paulo were in gametic equilibrium. Based on these findings, we propose that populations of the wheat blast pathogen exhibit a mixed reproductive system in which sexual reproduction is followed by the local dispersal of clones. Seedling virulence assays with local wheat cultivars differentiated 14 pathotypes in the current population. Detached head virulence assays differentiated eight virulence groups on the same wheat cultivars. There was no correlation between seedling and head reactions.

scholarly journals Analysis of whole-genome re-sequencing data of ducks reveals a diverse demographic history and extensive gene flow between Southeast/South Asian and Chinese populations

2021 ◽  
Vol 53 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fan Jiang ◽  
Ruiyi Lin ◽  
Changyi Xiao ◽  
Tanghui Xie ◽  
Yaoxin Jiang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Flow ◽  
South Asia ◽  
South Asian ◽  
Demographic History ◽  
Nervous System Development ◽  
Chromosome 1 ◽  
Whole Genome ◽  
Chinese Populations ◽  
Asian Populations ◽  
History Of

Abstract Background The most prolific duck genetic resource in the world is located in Southeast/South Asia but little is known about the domestication and complex histories of these duck populations. Results Based on whole-genome resequencing data of 78 ducks (Anas platyrhynchos) and 31 published whole-genome duck sequences, we detected three geographic distinct genetic groups, including local Chinese, wild, and local Southeast/South Asian populations. We inferred the demographic history of these duck populations with different geographical distributions and found that the Chinese and Southeast/South Asian ducks shared similar demographic features. The Chinese domestic ducks experienced the strongest population bottleneck caused by domestication and the last glacial maximum (LGM) period, whereas the Chinese wild ducks experienced a relatively weak bottleneck caused by domestication only. Furthermore, the bottleneck was more severe in the local Southeast/South Asian populations than in the local Chinese populations, which resulted in a smaller effective population size for the former (7100–11,900). We show that extensive gene flow has occurred between the Southeast/South Asian and Chinese populations, and between the Southeast Asian and South Asian populations. Prolonged gene flow was detected between the Guangxi population from China and its neighboring Southeast/South Asian populations. In addition, based on multiple statistical approaches, we identified a genomic region that included three genes (PNPLA8, THAP5, and DNAJB9) on duck chromosome 1 with a high probability of gene flow between the Guangxi and Southeast/South Asian populations. Finally, we detected strong signatures of selection in genes that are involved in signaling pathways of the nervous system development (e.g., ADCYAP1R1 and PDC) and in genes that are associated with morphological traits such as cell growth (e.g., IGF1R). Conclusions Our findings provide valuable information for a better understanding of the domestication and demographic history of the duck, and of the gene flow between local duck populations from Southeast/South Asia and China.

scholarly journals The MoT3 assay does not distinguish between Magnaporthe oryzae wheat and rice blast isolates from Bangladesh

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dipali Rani Gupta ◽  
Claudia Sarai Reyes Avila ◽  
Joe Win ◽  
Darren M. Soares ◽  
Lauren S. Ryder ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Magnaporthe Oryzae ◽  
Rice Blast ◽  
Dna Amplification ◽  
Diagnostic Tools ◽  
Diagnostic Assay ◽  
Asian Countries ◽  
Wheat Blast ◽  
New Hosts ◽  
Grass Hosts ◽  
The Uk

ABSTRACTThe blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae is comprised of lineages that exhibit varying degrees of specificity on about 50 grass hosts, including rice, wheat and barley. Reliable diagnostic tools are essential given that the pathogen has a propensity to jump to new hosts and spread to new geographic regions. Of particular concern is wheat blast, which has suddenly appeared in Bangladesh in 2016 before spreading to neighboring India. In these Asian countries, wheat blast strains are now co-occurring with the destructive rice blast pathogen raising the possibility of genetic exchange between these destructive pathogens. We assessed the recently described MoT3 diagnostic assay and found that it did not distinguish between wheat and rice blast isolates from Bangladesh. The assay is based on primers matching the WB12 sequence corresponding to a fragment of the M. oryzae MGG_02337 gene annotated as a short chain dehydrogenase. These primers could not reliably distinguish between wheat and rice blast isolates from Bangladesh based on DNA amplification experiments performed in separate laboratories in Bangladesh and in the UK. In addition, comparative genomics of the WB12 sequence revealed a complex underlying genetic structure with related sequences across M. oryzae strains and in both rice and wheat blast isolates. We, therefore, caution against the indiscriminate use of this assay to identify wheat blast.

scholarly journals Osa-miR162a balances rice yield and resistance to Magnaporthe oryzae

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xu-Pu Li ◽  
Xiao-Chun Ma ◽  
He Wang ◽  
Yong Zhu ◽  
Xin-Xian Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Magnaporthe Oryzae ◽  
Rice Blast ◽  
Rice Yield ◽  
Blast Resistance ◽  
Blast Disease ◽  
Mirna Biogenesis ◽  
Trade Off ◽  
Rice Blast Resistance ◽  
Defense Related Gene ◽  
Transgenic Lines

Abstract MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play essential roles in rice immunity against Magnaporthe oryzae, the causative agent of rice blast disease. Osa-miR162a targets Dicer-like 1 (DCL1) genes, which play vital roles in miRNA biogenesis and act as negative regulators in rice immunity. Here we demonstrate that Osa-miR162a improves rice immunity against M. oryzae and balances the trade-off between rice yield and resistance. Overexpression of Osa-miR162a compromises rice susceptibility to M. oryzae accompanying enhanced induction of defense-related genes and accumulation of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). In contrast, blocking miR162 by overexpressing a target mimic of miR162 enhances susceptibility to blast fungus associating with compromised induction of defense-related gene expression and H2O2 accumulation. Moreover, the transgenic lines overexpressing Osa-miR162a display decreased seed setting rate resulting in reduced yield per plant, whereas blocking miR162 leads to an increased number of grains per panicle, resulting in increased yield per plant. Altered accumulation of miR162 had limited impact on the expression of OsDCL1. Together, our results indicate that Osa-miR162a improves rice blast resistance and plays a role in the balance of trade-off between resistance and yield.

scholarly journals Endocast of the Late Triassic (Carnian) dinosaur Saturnalia tupiniquim: implications for the evolution of brain tissue in Sauropodomorpha

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mario Bronzati ◽  
Oliver W M Rauhut ◽  
Jonathas S Bittencourt ◽  
Max C. Langer
Keyword(s):  
South America ◽  
Brain Tissue ◽  
Evolutionary History ◽  
Morphological Changes ◽  
Volume Reduction ◽  
Late Triassic ◽  
History Of

The evolutionary history of dinosaurs might date back to the fist stages of the Triassic (c. 250– 240 Ma), but the oldest unequivocal records of the group come from Late Triassic (Carnian – c. 230 Ma) rocks of South America. Here, we present the fist braincase endocast of a Carnian dinosaur, the sauropodomorph Saturnalia tupiniquim, and provide new data regarding the evolution of the flccular and paraflccular lobe of the cerebellum (FFL), which has been extensively discussed in the fild of palaeoneurology. Previous studies proposed that the development of a permanent quadrupedal stance was one of the factors leading to the volume reduction of the FFL of sauropods. However, based on the new data for S. tupiniquim we identifid a fist moment of FFL volume reduction in nonsauropodan Sauropodomorpha, preceding the acquisition of a fully quadrupedal stance. Analysing variations in FFL volume alongside other morphological changes in the group, we suggest that this reduction is potentially related to the adoption of a more restricted herbivore diet. In this context, the FFL of sauropods might represent a vestigial trait, retained in a reduced version from the bipedal and predatory early sauropodomorphs.

scholarly journals Role of two metacaspases in development and pathogenicity of the Rice Blast fungus, Magnaporthe oryzae

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessie Fernandez ◽  
Victor Lopez ◽  
Lisa Kinch ◽  
Mariel A. Pfeifer ◽  
Hillery Gray ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Death ◽  
Food Security ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Magnaporthe Oryzae ◽  
Rice Blast ◽  
Rice Blast Disease ◽  
Blast Disease ◽  
Complex Life Cycle ◽  
Insight Into

ABSTRACTRice blast disease caused by Magnaporthe oryzae is a devastating disease of cultivated rice worldwide. Infections by this fungus lead to a significant reduction in rice yields and threats to food security. To gain better insight into growth and cell death in M. oryzae during infection, we characterized two predicted M. oryzae metacaspase proteins, MoMca1 and MoMca2. These proteins appear to be functionally redundant and are able to complement the yeast Yca1 homologue. Biochemical analysis revealed that M. oryzae metacaspases exhibited Ca2+ dependent caspase activity in vitro. Deletion of both MoMca1 and MoMca2 in M. oryzae resulted in reduced sporulation, delay in conidial germination and attenuation of disease severity. In addition, the double ΔMomca1mca2 mutant strain showed increased radial growth in the presence of oxidative stress. Interestingly, the ΔMomca1mca2 strain showed an increase accumulation of insoluble aggregates compared to the wild-type strain during vegetative growth. Our findings suggest that MoMca1 and MoMca2 promote the clearance of insoluble aggregates in M. oryzae, demonstrating the important role these metacaspases have in fungal protein homeostasis. Furthermore, these metacaspase proteins may play additional roles, like in regulating stress responses, that would help maintain the fitness of fungal cells required for host infection.IMPORTANCEMagnaporthe oryzae causes rice blast disease that threatens global food security by resulting in the severe loss of rice production every year. A tightly regulated life cycle allows M. oryzae to disarm the host plant immune system during its biotrophic stage before triggering plant cell death in its necrotrophic stage. The ways M. oryzae navigates its complex life cycle remains unclear. This work characterizes two metacaspase proteins with peptidase activity in M. oryzae that are shown to be involved in the regulation of fungal growth and development prior to infection by potentially helping maintain fungal fitness. This study provides new insight into the role of metacaspase proteins in filamentous fungi by illustrating the delays in M. oryzae morphogenesis in the absence of these proteins. Understanding the mechanisms by which M. oryzae morphology and development promote its devastating pathogenicity may lead to the emergence of proper methods for disease control.

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