Genetic Variability ofAspergillus flavusIsolates from a Mississippi Corn Field
A nontoxigenicAspergillus flavusstrain, K49, is currently being tested as a biological control agent in corn fields in the Mississippi Delta. However, little is known about the overall genetic diversity ofA. flavusfrom year to year in corn fields and specifically in Mississippi. Our objective was to assess the genetic variability ofA. flavusisolates from different seasons, inoculum sources, and years, from a no-till corn field. Of the 175A. flavusisolates examined, 74 and 97 had the typicalnorB-cypAtype I (1.5 kb) and type II (1.0 kb) deletion patterns, respectively. Variability in the sequence of theomtAgene of the majority of the field isolates (n=118) was compared to strain K49. High levels of haplotypic diversity (24omtAhaplotypes; Hd = 0.61 ± 0.04) were found. Among the 24 haplotypes, two were predominant, H1 (n=71), which consists of mostly toxigenic isolates, and H49 (n=18), which consists of mostly atoxigenic isolates including K49. Toxigenic isolates were prevalent (60%) in this natural population. Nonetheless, about 15% of the population likely shared the same ancestral origin with K49. This study provides valuable information on the diversity ofA. flavus. This knowledge can be further used to develop additional biological control strains.