A hyperparasite affects the population dynamics of a wild plant pathogen
Article
Article Title | A hyperparasite affects the population dynamics of a wild plant pathogen |
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ERA Journal ID | 3289 |
Article Category | Article |
Authors | Tollenaere, C. (Author), Pernechele, B. (Author), Makinen, H. S. (Author), Parratt, S. R. (Author), Nemeth, M. Z. (Author), Kovacs, G. M. (Author), Kiss, L. (Author), Tack, A. J. M. (Author) and Laine, A.-L. (Author) |
Journal Title | Molecular Ecology |
Journal Citation | 23 (23), pp. 5877-5887 |
Number of Pages | 11 |
Year | 2014 |
Place of Publication | United Kingdom |
ISSN | 0962-1083 |
1365-294X | |
Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.12908 |
Web Address (URL) | http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/mec.12908/pdf |
Abstract | Assessing the impact of natural enemies of plant and animal pathogens on their host's population dynamics is needed to determine the role of hyperparasites in affecting disease dynamics, and their potential for use in efficient control strategies of pathogens. Here, we focus on the long-term study describing metapopulation dynamics of an obligate pathogen, the powdery mildew (Podosphaera plantaginis) naturally infecting its wild host plant (Plantago lanceolata) in the fragmented landscape of the Åland archipelago (southwest Finland). Regionally, the pathogen persists through a balance of extinctions and colonizations, yet factors affecting extinction rates remain poorly understood. Mycoparasites of the genus Ampelomyces appear as good candidates for testing the role of a hyperparasite, i.e. a parasite of other parasites, in the regulation of their fungal hosts' population dynamics. For this purpose, we first designed a quantitative PCR assay for detection of Ampelomyces spp. in field-collected samples. This newly developed molecular test was then applied to a large-scale sampling within the Åland archipelago, revealing that Ampelomyces is a widespread hyperparasite in this system, with high variability in prevalence among populations. We found that the hyperparasite was more common on leaves where multiple powdery mildew strains coexist, a pattern that may be attributed to differential exposure. Moreover, the prevalence of Ampelomyces at the plant level negatively affected the overwinter survival of its fungal host. We conclude that this hyperparasite may likely impact on its host population dynamics and argue for increased focus on the role of hyperparasites in disease dynamics. |
Keywords | disease; hyperparasite; metapopulation; molecular detection; plant pathogen; regulation; Ascomycota; fungal DNA; DNA, ribosomal spacer; Finland; host-pathogen interactions; plant diseases; Plantago; population dynamics; applied microbiology and biotechnology; microbial diseases and parasites; plant pathology; fungal pathogens and diseases; plant science; biochemistry; molecular biology; plant/microbe interactions; plant science; plant pathology and symbioses; plant pathology; fungi - general; |
ANZSRC Field of Research 2020 | 310704. Microbial genetics |
310805. Plant pathology | |
310705. Mycology | |
410404. Environmental management | |
Public Notes | Files associated with this item cannot be displayed due to copyright restrictions. |
Byline Affiliations | University of Helsinki, Finland |
Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Hungary | |
Institution of Origin | University of Southern Queensland |
https://research.usq.edu.au/item/q422w/a-hyperparasite-affects-the-population-dynamics-of-a-wild-plant-pathogen
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