Extremely low AFLP variation in the European dry rot fungus (Serpula lacrymans): implications for self/nonself-recognition

Abstract

The devastating dry rot fungus, Serpula lacrymans, has a worldwide occurrence in buildings. We investigated the genetic variation in European isolates belonging to five vegetative compatibility groups (VCGs) by AFLP analysis. Our results indicate that S. lacrymans in Europe is genetically extremely homogenous; only five out of 308 scored AFLP fragments (1.6%) were polymorphic. In contrast, S. himantioides, the closest relative of S. lacrymans, possessed 31.3% polymorphic fragments (84 out of 268). AFLP polymorphisms observed in S. lacrymans were distributed independently of the VCG boundaries, indicating that the VCGs do not represent clones but that different genets of S. lacrymans frequently share similar vic alleles due to low genetic variation. Thus, although the European S. lacrymans is genetically extremely homogeneous, and our results suggest that the species reproduces and spreads mainly sexually and not by clones

Published in

Mycological Research
2004, volume: 108, pages: 1264-1270
Publisher: CAMBRIDGE UNIV PRESS

SLU Authors

• Elfstrand, Malin

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

• Högberg, Nils

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

UKÄ Subject classification

Environmental Sciences related to Agriculture and Land-use


Publication identifier

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S095375620400108X

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/4927