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ARS Home » Plains Area » Fargo, North Dakota » Edward T. Schafer Agricultural Research Center » Sugarbeet and Potato Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #331647
Title: De novo genome assembly of Cercospora beticola for microsatellite marker development and validation

Author
item VAGHEFI, NILOOFAR - Cornell University
item KIKKERT, JULIE - Cornell University
item Bolton, Melvin
item Hanson, Linda
item SECOR, GARY - North Dakota State University
item PETHYBRIDGE, SARAH - Cornell University

Submitted to: Fungal Ecology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/16/2017
Publication Date: 2/1/2017
Citation: Vaghefi, N., Kikkert, J.R., Bolton, M.D., Hanson, L.E., Secor, G.A., Pethybridge, S.J. 2017. De novo genome assembly of Cercospora beticola for microsatellite marker development and validation. Fungal Ecology. 26:123-134.

Interpretive Summary: Cercospora leaf spot caused by Cercospora beticola is a significant threat to the production of sugar and table beet worldwide. We sequenced the genome of C. beticola to develop molecular markers for population genetic analyses. Together with previously published markers, we used this marker set to characterize two C. beticola populations from table beet fields in New York state, USA. We found that these C. beticola populations were highly diverse genetically. We also found some evidence for the possibility of sexual reproduction. We believe this new genome sequence will help to clarify the reproductive capabilities of C. beticola.

Technical Abstract: Cercospora leaf spot caused by Cercospora beticola is a significant threat to the production of sugar and table beet worldwide. A de novo genome assembly of C. beticola was used to develop eight polymorphic and reproducible microsatellite markers for population genetic analyses. These markers were used, along with four previously described microsatellite loci to genotype two C. beticola populations from table beet fields in New York state, USA. High allelic and genotypic diversity and low population differentiation was found between fields. Linkage disequilibrium of loci after clone-correction of datasets was attributed to the presence of two distinct clonal lineages within the populations. Linkage equilibrium of loci in one of the clusters supported the presence of sexual reproduction but no evidence of admixture was found within the second clonal lineage. The draft de novo genome assembly will help elucidate the reproductive system of C. beticola through investigating evidence of recombination in the C. beticola genome.