Abstract

Expected global changes in environmental conditions underline the need for a better understanding of genetic variation in ecological traits and their strategies of adaptation to the stresses. In this study, evolutionary mechanisms and processes of UV adaptation in plant pathogens were investigated by combining statistical genetics, physiological assays, and common garden experiment approaches in an assessment of the potato late blight pathogen, Phytophthora infestans, sampled from various geographic locations in China. We found spatial divergence caused by diversifying selection in UV tolerance among P. infestans populations. Local UV radiation was the driving force of selection as indicated by a positive correlation between UV tolerance in P. infestans populations and the altitude of collection sites. Plasticity accounted for 68% of population variation while heritability was negligible, suggesting temporary changes in gene expression and/or enzymatic activity play a more important role than permanent modification of gene structure in the evolution of UV adaptation. This adaptation strategy may explain the lack of fitness penalty observed in genotypes with higher UV tolerance.

Keywords

aggressiveness; genetic differentiation; pathogen evolution; phenotypic plasticity; Phytophthora infestans; Q(ST)/F-ST analysis; ultraviolet adaptation

Published in

Evolutionary applications
2019, Volume: 12, number: 3, pages: 415-424
Publisher: WILEY

SLU Authors

• Zhan, Jiasui

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

Associated SLU-program

SLU Plant Protection Network


Sustainable Development Goals

SDG13 Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts


UKÄ Subject classification

Evolutionary Biology


Publication identifier

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/eva.12722

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/99055