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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Corvallis, Oregon » Horticultural Crops Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #301432
Title: Speciation in fungal and oomycete plant pathogens

Author
item RESTREPO, SILVIA - Universidad De Los Andes
item TABIMA, JAVIER - Oregon State University
item MIDEROS, MARIA - Universidad De Los Andes
item Grunwald, Niklaus - Nik
item MATUTE, DANIEL - University Of Chicago

Submitted to: Annual Review of Phytopathology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/30/2014
Publication Date: 8/1/2014
Citation: Restrepo, S., Tabima, J.F., Mideros, M.F., Grunwald, N.J., Matute, D.R. 2014. Speciation in fungal and oomycete plant pathogens. Annual Review of Phytopathology. 52:289-316.

Interpretive Summary: The process of speciation by definition involves evolution of one or more reproductive isolating mechanisms that split a single species into two that can no longer interbreed. Determination of which processes are responsible for speciation is important yet challenging. Several studies have proposed that speciation in pathogens is heavily influenced by host-pathogen dynamics, and that traits that mediate such interactions (e.g., host mobility, reproductive mode of the pathogen, complexity of the life cycle, host specificity) must lead to reproductive isolation and ultimately affect speciation rates. In this review, we summarize the main evolutionary processes that lead to speciation of fungal and oomycete plant pathogens and provide an outline of how speciation can be studied rigorously including novel genetic/genomic developments.

Technical Abstract: The process of speciation by definition involves evolution of one or more reproductive isolating mechanisms that split a single species into two that can no longer interbreed. Determination of which processes are responsible for speciation is important yet challenging. Several studies have proposed that speciation in pathogens is heavily influenced by host-pathogen dynamics, and that traits that mediate such interactions (e.g., host mobility, reproductive mode of the pathogen, complexity of the life cycle, host specificity) must lead to reproductive isolation and ultimately affect speciation rates. In this review, we summarize the main evolutionary processes that lead to speciation of fungal and oomycete plant pathogens and provide an outline of how speciation can be studied rigorously including novel genetic/genomic developments.