Diplodia tip blight pathogen’s virulence empowered through host switch
Increased drought combined with emerging pathogens poses an increased threat to forest health. This is attributable to the unpredictable behaviour of forest pathosystems, which can favour fungal pathogens over the host under persistent drought stress conditions. Diplodia sapinea (≡ Sphaeropsis sapin...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-07-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Fungal Biology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/ffunb.2022.939007/full |
| _version_ | 1818492953021120512 |
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| author | Kathrin Blumenstein Kathrin Blumenstein Johanna Bußkamp Gitta Jutta Langer Eeva Terhonen Eeva Terhonen |
| author_facet | Kathrin Blumenstein Kathrin Blumenstein Johanna Bußkamp Gitta Jutta Langer Eeva Terhonen Eeva Terhonen |
| author_sort | Kathrin Blumenstein |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Increased drought combined with emerging pathogens poses an increased threat to forest health. This is attributable to the unpredictable behaviour of forest pathosystems, which can favour fungal pathogens over the host under persistent drought stress conditions. Diplodia sapinea (≡ Sphaeropsis sapinea) is one of the most severe pathogens in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) causing Diplodia tip blight (conifer blight) under certain environmental conditions. Recently, the fungus has also been isolated from non-conifer hosts, indicating that it has a broader host range than previously known. In this study we compared the impact of different levels of water availability on necrosis length caused by D. sapinea strains isolated as endophytes (eight strains isolated from asymptomatic Scots pine) and pathogens (five strains isolated from symptomatic Scots pine) and five strains isolated from symptomatic non-pine hosts. For all strains the decreased water availability increased the necrosis length in Scots pine shoots. The isolates from non-pine hosts caused the most severe reactions under all water availabilities. The results of the study indicate the likelihood that effects of climatic changes such as drought will drive D. sapinea damage in Scots pine-dominated forests and increase mortality rates in affected trees. Further, the higher necrosis in the Scots pines caused by strains that had performed a host switch are concerning with regard to future scenarios thus increasing infection pressure on Scots pine from unknown sources. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T17:49:00Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f7631cd97af14f1fbc36d0e7fa25f19e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2673-6128 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T17:49:00Z |
| publishDate | 2022-07-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Fungal Biology |
| spelling | doaj.art-f7631cd97af14f1fbc36d0e7fa25f19e2022-12-22T01:39:09ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Fungal Biology2673-61282022-07-01310.3389/ffunb.2022.939007939007Diplodia tip blight pathogen’s virulence empowered through host switchKathrin Blumenstein0Kathrin Blumenstein1Johanna Bußkamp2Gitta Jutta Langer3Eeva Terhonen4Eeva Terhonen5Forest Pathology Research Group, Department of Forest Botany and Tree Physiology, Faculty of Forest Sciences and Forest Ecology, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Göttingen, GermanyChair of Pathology of Trees, Institute of Forestry, Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, GermanySection Mycology and Complex Diseases, Department of Forest Protection, Northwest German Forest Research Institute, Göttingen, GermanySection Mycology and Complex Diseases, Department of Forest Protection, Northwest German Forest Research Institute, Göttingen, GermanyForest Pathology Research Group, Department of Forest Botany and Tree Physiology, Faculty of Forest Sciences and Forest Ecology, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Göttingen, GermanyNatural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), Forest Health and Biodiversity, Helsinki, FinlandIncreased drought combined with emerging pathogens poses an increased threat to forest health. This is attributable to the unpredictable behaviour of forest pathosystems, which can favour fungal pathogens over the host under persistent drought stress conditions. Diplodia sapinea (≡ Sphaeropsis sapinea) is one of the most severe pathogens in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) causing Diplodia tip blight (conifer blight) under certain environmental conditions. Recently, the fungus has also been isolated from non-conifer hosts, indicating that it has a broader host range than previously known. In this study we compared the impact of different levels of water availability on necrosis length caused by D. sapinea strains isolated as endophytes (eight strains isolated from asymptomatic Scots pine) and pathogens (five strains isolated from symptomatic Scots pine) and five strains isolated from symptomatic non-pine hosts. For all strains the decreased water availability increased the necrosis length in Scots pine shoots. The isolates from non-pine hosts caused the most severe reactions under all water availabilities. The results of the study indicate the likelihood that effects of climatic changes such as drought will drive D. sapinea damage in Scots pine-dominated forests and increase mortality rates in affected trees. Further, the higher necrosis in the Scots pines caused by strains that had performed a host switch are concerning with regard to future scenarios thus increasing infection pressure on Scots pine from unknown sources.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/ffunb.2022.939007/fullclimate changeconifersDiplodia sapineahost-passagePinus sylvestrisSphaeropsis sapinea |
| spellingShingle | Kathrin Blumenstein Kathrin Blumenstein Johanna Bußkamp Gitta Jutta Langer Eeva Terhonen Eeva Terhonen Diplodia tip blight pathogen’s virulence empowered through host switch Frontiers in Fungal Biology climate change conifers Diplodia sapinea host-passage Pinus sylvestris Sphaeropsis sapinea |
| title | Diplodia tip blight pathogen’s virulence empowered through host switch |
| title_full | Diplodia tip blight pathogen’s virulence empowered through host switch |
| title_fullStr | Diplodia tip blight pathogen’s virulence empowered through host switch |
| title_full_unstemmed | Diplodia tip blight pathogen’s virulence empowered through host switch |
| title_short | Diplodia tip blight pathogen’s virulence empowered through host switch |
| title_sort | diplodia tip blight pathogen s virulence empowered through host switch |
| topic | climate change conifers Diplodia sapinea host-passage Pinus sylvestris Sphaeropsis sapinea |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/ffunb.2022.939007/full |
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