The conifer root rot pathogens Heterobasidion irregulare and Heterobasidion occidentale employ different strategies to infect Norway spruce

Abstract

Heterobasidion irregulare and H. occidentale are two closely related conifer root rot pathogens in the H. annosum sensu lato (s.l.) species complex. The two species H. irregulare and H. occidentale have different host preference with pine and non-pine tree species favored, respectively. The comparison of transcriptomes of H. irregulare and H. occidentale growing in Norway spruce bark, a susceptible host non-native to North America, showed large differences in gene expression. Heterobasidion irregulare induced more genes involved in detoxification of host compounds and in production of secondary metabolites, while the transcriptome induced in H. occidentale was more oriented towards carbohydrate degradation. Along with their separated evolutionary history, the difference might be driven by their host preferences as indicated by the differentially expressed genes enriched in particular Gene Ontology terms.

Published in

Scientific Reports
2020, volume: 10, number: 1, article number: 5884
Publisher: NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP

SLU Authors

• Hu, Yang

  • Department of Forest Mycology and Plant Pathology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Elfstrand, Malin

  • Department of Forest Mycology and Plant Pathology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Stenlid, Jan

  • Department of Forest Mycology and Plant Pathology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Brandström Durling, Mikael

  • Department of Forest Mycology and Plant Pathology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Olson, Åke

  • Department of Forest Mycology and Plant Pathology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

UKÄ Subject classification

Forest Science

Publication identifier

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-62521-x

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/107850