Genetic structure of the grapevine fungal pathogen Phaeomoniella chlamydospora in southeastern Australia and southern France

Abstract

In this study, 18 microsatellite loci were used to examine the genetic structure and mode of reproduction of Phaeomoniella chlamydospora, the fungus that causes Petri disease of grapevine and is involved in another grapevine disease, esca. A total of 60 southeastern Australian isolates were tested and compared with 64 isolates from southern France. The French population possessed relatively high genotypic diversity (G = 29·2) whilst the Australian population showed low genotypic diversity (G = 11·1), consistent with a limited founder population. Haplotypes from four different grapevine cultivars were not significantly differentiated (Φpt values effectively zero). Likewise, genetic differenti..