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Plant pathogens

Mitochondrial control of fungal hybrid virulence

Nature volume 411, page 438 (2001)Cite this article

Abstract

Hybrid species of fungal pathogens that infect wild and cultivated plants are emerging with new virulence and host ranges, posing a threat to agriculture and forestry1. Here we show that the virulence of hybrid species of the basidiomycete fungus Heterobasidion annosum (Fr) Bref, a causal agent of root and butt rot in conifers and one of the most economically important forest pathogens, is controlled by their mitochondrial genome. Our results indicate that cooperation between organelles that contain genetic information may influence the phenotype of hybrid phytopathogens.

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Figure 1: Virulence of S–P hybrids of the plant pathogen H. annosum to pine seedlings.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Forest Mycology and Pathology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, SE-750 07, Sweden

    Åke Olson & Jan Stenlid

Authors
  1. Åke Olson
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  2. Jan Stenlid
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Correspondence to Åke Olson.

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Olson, Å., Stenlid, J. Mitochondrial control of fungal hybrid virulence. Nature 411, 438 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1038/35078147

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