Emergence and spread of the barley net blotch pathogen coincided with crop domestication and cultivation history

In this study, we have used 104P.teres f.teres genomes from four continents to explore the population structure and demographic history of the fungal pathogen. We showed thatP.teres f.teres is structured into populations that tend to be geographically restricted to different regions. Using Multiple Sequentially Markovian Coalescent and machine learning approaches we demonstrated that the demographic history of the pathogen correlates with the history of barley, highlighting the importance of human migration and trade in spreading the pathogen. Exploring signatures of natural selection, we identified several population-specific selective sweeps that colocalized with genomic regions enriched in putative virulence genes, and loci previously identified as determinants of virulence specificities by quantitative trait locus analyses. This reflects rapid adaptation to local hosts and environmental conditions ofP.teres f.teres as it spread with barley. Our research highlights how human activities can contribute to the spread of pathogens that significantly impact the productivity of field crops.
Source: PLoS Genetics - Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Authors: Source Type: research