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ARS Home » Southeast Area » New Orleans, Louisiana » Southern Regional Research Center » Food and Feed Safety Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #263213
Title: Evolutionary relationships among Aspergillus flavus vegetative compatibility groups

Author
item Grubisha, Lisa
item Cotty, Peter

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/31/2010
Publication Date: 3/1/2011
Citation: Grubisha, L.C., Cotty, P.J. 2011. Evolutionary relationships among Aspergillus flavus vegetative compatibility groups [abstract]. The 26th Fungal Genetics Conference. p. 220.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Aspergillus flavus is a fungal plant pathogen of many diverse crops including cotton, peanuts, maize, almond, and pistachio. During infection by A. flavus, crops are frequently contaminated with highly carcinogenic aflatoxins. A. flavus populations are composed of numerous vegetative compatibility groups (VCGs), however not all VCGs produce aflatoxin. Crosses of A. flavus VCGs of MAT1-1 and MAT1-2 mating types have been produced in laboratory studies. We have developed a set of 24 microsatellite markers for A. flavus from across the eight chromosomes to investigate genetic diversity, reproductive mode and population structure. We examined the genetic structure of A. flavus populations, including a study of YV36, the VCG that the biocontrol fungus AF36 belongs. Results from these studies demonstrate that these microsatallite markers are useful for population genetic studies of A. flavus. Whether the hypothesis of random mating among VCGs of MAT1-1 and MAT1-2 was supported by these studies will be discussed.