Skip to main content
ARS Home » Midwest Area » Peoria, Illinois » National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research » Mycotoxin Prevention and Applied Microbiology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #225579

Title: Molecular phylogeny of Fusarium inferred from partial RNA polymerase II gene sequences

Author
item O Donnell, Kerry

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/2/2008
Publication Date: 9/2/2008
Citation: O Donnell, K. 2008. Molecular phylogeny of Fusarium inferred from partial RNA polymerase II gene sequences. Meeting Abstract.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Currently there are no robust phylogenetic hypotheses for Fusarium based on large-scale sampling across the breadth of this important group of mycotoxigenic phytopathogens. Nucleotide variation within the second largest RNA polymerase subunit (RPB2) protein-coding gene, however, has clearly demonstrated the utility of partial sequences from this gene for resolving evolutionary relationships among clades of medically important fusaria (O’Donnell et al., J. Clin. Microbiol. 45:2235-2248, 2007). Two attractive features of this gene for phylogeny reconstruction within Fusarium include: 1) strong support for relationships among many clades was obtained for the first time, and 2) the region sequenced (1.8 kb) can be easily aligned across the genus, thereby establishing positional homology. A comprehensive RPB2 dataset is being constructed to assess the contribution of this gene for resolving phylogenetic relationships within Fusarium. As strongly supported, monophyletic species complexes (i.e., clades) are identified, genealogical concordance of multilocus DNA sequence data is being used to identify phylogenetically distinct species. These data will be incorporated into the next version of the web-accessible Fusarium-ID database.