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Diversity in genetic structure and chemotype composition of Fusarium graminearum sensu stricto populations causing wheat head blight in individual fields in Germany

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Abstract

Fusarium head blight (FHB) is one of the most destructive diseases of wheat. Twelve small commercial wheat fields (size 1–3 hectares) were sampled in Germany for Fusarium populations at three spots per field with 10 heads each. PCR assays using generic primers confirmed 338 isolates as F.graminearum sensu stricto (s.s.) (64.9%) out of 521 Fusarium spp. that were further analyzed. Populations of F. graminearum s.s. in Germany contain three types of trichothecenes with a dominancy of 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol chemotype (92%) followed by 3-acetyldeoxynivalenol chemotype (6.8%) and a few isolates of nivalenol chemotype (1.2%). All these isolates were genotyped using 19 microsatellite loci. The 12 populations showed a high genetic diversity within the small scale sampling areas resulting in 300 different haplotypes. Genetic diversity within populations (71.2%) was considerably higher than among populations (28.8%) as shown by analysis of molecular variance. Gene flow (Nm) between populations ranged from 0.76–3.16. Composition of haplotypes of one population followed over 2 years changed considerably. No correlation between genetic and geographical distance was found. In conclusion, populations of F. graminearum s.s. in Germany display a tremendous genetic variation on a local scale with a restricted diversity among populations.

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Acknowledgments

This study was funded by the State Plant Breeding Institute, Universität Hohenheim, Germany, and German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), Bonn, Germany. We thank Dr. Todd Ward, USDA-ARS, University St., Peoria, USA, for confirming the species identification for some isolates.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Plant Breeding Institute (720), Universität Hohenheim, Fruwirthstr. 21, 70593, Stuttgart, Germany

    Firas Talas & Thomas Miedaner

  2. National Commission of Biotechnology (NCBT), P.O.Box. 31902, Damascus, Syria

    Firas Talas

  3. Institute of Plant Breeding, Seed Science and Population Genetics, Universität Hohenheim (350), Fruwirthstr. 21, 70593, Stuttgart, Germany

    Heiko K. Parzies

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  1. Firas Talas
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  2. Heiko K. Parzies
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Correspondence to Thomas Miedaner.

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Name, use and sequence of oligonucleotides and the product size (DOCX 27.4 kb)

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Talas, F., Parzies, H.K. & Miedaner, T. Diversity in genetic structure and chemotype composition of Fusarium graminearum sensu stricto populations causing wheat head blight in individual fields in Germany. Eur J Plant Pathol 131, 39–48 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10658-011-9785-3

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