Birds and mammals as vectors of the chestnut blight fungus (Endothia parasitica)

1981 ◽  
Vol 59 (9) ◽  
pp. 1647-1650 ◽  
Author(s):  
Craig S. Scharf ◽  
Nancy K. DePalma
Keyword(s):  
Hardwood Forests ◽  
American Chestnut ◽  
Forest Community ◽  
Chestnut Blight ◽  
Chestnut Blight Fungus ◽  
Endothia Parasitica

This study investigated the potential of birds and mammals to vector the chestnut blight fungus in today's mixed hardwood forests. Animals were shot or trapped in established woodland plots in southern Connecticut where densities of American chestnut sprouts were high, brought back to the laboratory, and examined for the presence of Endothia parasitica. Results showed that birds and mammals can transport virulent and hypovirulent-like strains of E. parasitica in today's forest community. Two birds, a mouse, and a shrew were identified as carriers of the blight fungus; the shrew harbored a hypovirulent-like strain introduced onto the plot 2 years earlier.

Initiation and development of cankers caused by virulent and cytoplasmic hypovirulent isolates of the chestnut blight fungus

1984 ◽  
Vol 62 (12) ◽  
pp. 2660-2664 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. S. Russin ◽  
L. Shain
Keyword(s):  
Moisture Content ◽  
Electrical Resistance ◽  
American Chestnut ◽  
Chestnut Blight ◽  
Moisture Contents ◽  
Chestnut Blight Fungus ◽  
Cork Borer ◽  
Endothia Parasitica ◽  
Canker Development

Stems of American chestnut were inoculated with a virulent (V) isolate of Endothia parasitica alone or containing different agents for cytoplasmic hypovirulence (CH). The V isolate (EP 155) initiated cankers in cork borer wounds 0,1,2,4,7,14,21, or 28 days old. Infection of this V isolate with CH agents Hl2 (EP 780), HMU (EP 868) or HT2 (EP 905), restricted canker development to wounds 0–7 days old, Odays old, or to none of the wounds 0–28 days old, respectively. Inoculation of several wound types with V or CH conidia collected from cankers or agar cultures resulted in few cankers. Measurement of electrical resistance (ER) of bark at different heights along chestnut stems indicated that ER was lowest at stem bases. Cankers initiated artificially at stem bases with mycelium from V or CH isolates were smaller and enlarged more slowly than did cankers initiated at more elevated stem positions. Areas of cankers initiated in detached chestnut stems in which moisture contents were regulated were inversely related to moisture content and directly related to ER of chestnut bark.

scholarly journals Detection of natural infection of Quercus spp. by the chestnut blight fungus (Cryphonectria parasitica) in Hungary

2002 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Radócz ◽  
I. J. Holb
Keyword(s):  
Natural Infection ◽  
Cryphonectria Parasitica ◽  
Castanea Dentata ◽  
American Chestnut ◽  
Chestnut Blight ◽  
Chestnut Blight Fungus ◽  
European Chestnut ◽  
Total Destruction ◽  
Quercus Spp ◽  
Endothia Parasitica

The chestnut blight fungus Cryphonectria parasitica (Murrill) Barr [syn.: Endothia parasitica (Murr) Anderson] caused almost total destruction of the American chestnut (Castanea dentata) and widely spread on European chestnut (Castanea saliva) in many European countries. In Hungary, because this fungus threatens most of the Hungarian chestnut stands, great efforts have been made to delay its spread. Biological control with Hungarian hypovirulent strains of the pathogen seems to be an effective method for saving the affected chestnut trees. Until 1998 the fungus was detected on Castanea saliva only, then on some trees of young Quercus petrea in mixed chestnut forests, which also showed the typical symptoms of blight (Kőszeg and Zengővárkony). Although blight symptoms are not so serious in Quercus spp. than in Castanea spp., it seems that C. parasitica threatens the young Quercus spp. in Hungary, mainly in heavily infected chestnut forests. This is the first report of C. parasitica cankers on oak in Hungary.

Population biology of the chestnut blight fungus, Cryphonectria parasitica

1995 ◽  
Vol 73 (S1) ◽  
pp. 311-319 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael G. Milgroom
Keyword(s):  
Gene Flow ◽  
North America ◽  
Population Biology ◽  
Random Mating ◽  
Cryphonectria Parasitica ◽  
Vegetative Compatibility ◽  
Chestnut Blight ◽  
Vegetative Compatibility Groups ◽  
Chestnut Blight Fungus ◽  
Endothia Parasitica

Interest in the population biology of the chestnut blight fungus Cryphonectria parasitica has been motivated largely by the potential for biological control of chestnut blight with fungal viruses that cause hypovirulence. Earlier studies gave valuable insights into the correlation between diversity of vegetative compatibility groups and transmission of hypovirulence viruses. However, inferences about evolutionary processes affecting populations were not possible because vegetative compatibility groups are not genetically defined. Using restriction fragment length polymorphism markers, however, progress has been made in studying the origin of C. parasitica in North America, gene flow among populations, dispersal within populations, and recombination and the mating system. Cryphonectria parasitica populations in North America are genetically more similar to populations in Japan than in China, which is consistent with previous speculations that this fungus was introduced from Japan. Populations in China and Japan are quite different, suggesting little or no gene flow between these areas. Restricted gene flow and genetic drift are probably the dominant evolutionary forces shaping North American populations, with approximately 20% of gene diversity due to differences among populations (GST = 0.20). Two populations of C. parasitica in Michigan and one population in Italy are primarily clonal in structure. In contrast, sexual reproduction appears to be common in populations in eastern North America, although most of these populations deviate significantly from random mating. Deviations from random mating are most likely due to self-fertilization (uniparental inbreeding), restricted dispersal of male gametes, and mating between individuals that are more closely related genetically than would be expected by chance (biparental inbreeding). Aggregations of similar genotypes in space suggest that populations of C. parasitica may be structured into genetic neighborhoods by restricted dispersal. Future research efforts in this system will explore isolation by distance and address questions of hypovirulence virus coevolution with its fungal host. Key words: Cryphonectria parasitica, Endothia parasitica, chestnut blight, genetic neighbourhoods, inbreeding.

Measuring resistance of chestnut trees to chestnut blight

1992 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 568-571 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra L. Anagnostakis
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Assessment ◽  
First Generation ◽  
Chinese American ◽  
American Chestnut ◽  
Chestnut Blight ◽  
Japanese American ◽  
Individual Tree ◽  
Chestnut Blight Fungus ◽  
Tree Resistance ◽  
Virulent Strains

Four species of chestnut trees and four kinds of hybrids were inoculated with two virulent strains of the chestnut blight fungus (Cryphonectriaparasitica (Murr.) Barr). Rate of canker expansion was measured over 114 days (June–September), and rate change was used as a quantitative assessment of individual tree resistance. Cankers on two typical American chestnut trees (Castaneadentata (Marsh.) Borkh.) expanded at a rate of 1 mm/day. Expansion rates on Chinese chestnut (Castaneamollissima Blume) ranged from 0.2 to 0.6 mm/day, and the rates on two Japanese chestnut trees (Castaneacrenata Siebold & Zucc.) were 0.08 to 0.2 mm/day. Our single Henry chestnut (Castaneahenryi (Skan) Reh. & Wilson) tree allowed rates of 0.3 and 0.8 mm/day. Most rates on American–Chinese and Japanese–American hybrids were from intermediate between rates on Asian and American trees to near the rates on American trees. However, a first-generation backcross of Chinese–American × American only allowed expansion rates of 0.3 and 0.4 mm/day, similar to the lowest rates on Asian trees.

Spatial pattern analysis of vegetative compatibility groups in the chestnut blight fungus, Cryphonectria parasitica

1991 ◽  
Vol 69 (7) ◽  
pp. 1407-1413 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael G. Milgroom ◽  
William L. MacDonald ◽  
Mark L. Double
Keyword(s):  
Average Distance ◽  
Cryphonectria Parasitica ◽  
Mantel Test ◽  
Vegetative Compatibility ◽  
Chestnut Blight ◽  
Spatial Pattern Analysis ◽  
Vegetative Compatibility Groups ◽  
Clear Cut ◽  
Chestnut Blight Fungus ◽  
Endothia Parasitica

Vegetative compatibility groups were determined for 914 isolates of the chestnut blight fungus, Cryphonectria (Endothia) parasitica, collected over a 5-year period from American chestnut trees in eight regenerating clear-cut plots. We tested the hypothesis that the average distance between individuals in the same vegetative compatibility group is not different from the average distance between individuals with vegetative compatibility assigned at random. Nonrandom patterns were detected in all plots at least once during the study, indicating that vegetative compatibility groups were often aggregated. However, when multiple occurrences of vegetative compatibility groups on the same tree were eliminated from the analysis, there was only one test (out of 98 in total) in which the null hypothesis was rejected. We conclude that nonrandom patterns of vegetative compatibility groups are due primarily to multiple occurrences of vegetative compatibility groups on the same trees. Nearly half of all new cankers detected once the epidemic got started were in the same vegetative compatibility groups as cankers previously resident on the same tree. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that populations of C. parasitica are partly clonal in structure. Key words: Endothia parasitica, hypovirulence, Mantel test, matrix comparison, spatial autocorrelation.

Eucalypts Are Susceptible to the Chestnut Blight Fungus, Cryphonectria Parasitica

1988 ◽  
Vol 36 (5) ◽  
pp. 599 ◽  
Author(s):  
KM Old ◽  
T Kobayashi
Keyword(s):  
Eucalyptus Camaldulensis ◽  
Cryphonectria Parasitica ◽  
Chestnut Blight ◽  
Castanea Crenata ◽  
Chestnut Blight Fungus ◽  
Endothia Parasitica ◽  
Accidental Introduction

Eucalyptus camaldulensis, E. haemastoma, E, microcorys, E. punctata and E. robusta grown in greenhouses in Japan were susceptible to infection by Cryphonectria parasitica, syn. Endothia parasitica. A Cryphonectria sp. found on Eucalyptus in central Honshu was morphologically identical to C. parasitica and caused cankers on the five eucalypts and Castanea crenata. Endothiella, the anamorph of Cryphonectria. spp, and Endothia spp., was found on eucalypts in four field locations in Honshu. The evidence suggests that eucalypts are infected in the field by C. parasitica in Japan. Accidental introduction of the chestnut blight fungus into Australia could have serious consequences for the health of native eucalypts, in addition to causing disease of cultivated chestnuts.

Movement of cytoplasmic hypovirulence agents in chestnut blight cankers

1992 ◽  
Vol 70 (3) ◽  
pp. 557-561 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Shain ◽  
J. B. Miller
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control ◽  
Key Words ◽  
Cryphonectria Parasitica ◽  
Castanea Dentata ◽  
American Chestnut ◽  
Chestnut Blight ◽  
Typical Morphology ◽  
Natural Range ◽  
Hypovirulent Strain ◽  
Endothia Parasitica

Chestnut blight cankers, initiated with virulent methionine auxotrophic strains of Cryphonectria parasitica, were challenged by placing one or two discs of agar and mycelium of prototrophic hypovirulent strains at their base. Movement of hypovirulence agents was confirmed by recovery of an isolate that exhibited the typical morphology of the introduced hypovirulent strain on media with methionine but little or no growth on media without methionine. Cultures from bark showed that the hypovirulent agent moved through mycelium around the circumference of cankers within 3 weeks when the virulent and challenging hypovirulent were vegetatively compatible. Conversion of the mycelium in the canker interior proceeded more slowly. Conversion of mycelium also was delayed, but eventually occurred, when virulent and hypovirulent inocula differed in vegetative compatibility. Conidia, however, continued to yield virulent, methionine-requiring cultures up to 65 weeks after challenge, even though underlying bark frequently yielded hypovirulent, methionine-requiring cultures. This disinclination of hypovirulent agents to enter the asexual apparatus in cankers may contribute substantially to the observed ineffective dissemination of hypovirulence in the natural range of American chestnut. Exploitation of those hypovirulent agents that can enter conidia in cankers may enhance the biological control of chestnut blight by hypovirulence. Key words: biological control, Cryphonectria parasitica, Endothia parasitica, Castanea dentata.

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