Collaborative Research: Cytoplasmic Hyperparasites and Their Influence on Plant-Pathogen Interactions

胞质高寄生物影响植物与病原体相互作用动力学的潜力将是本合作研究项目的重点。该研究的理论部分有三个目标：(1)确定允许高寄生物入侵病原体种群的条件；(2)预测高寄生物入侵对植物-病原体种群动态的影响；(3)预测植物-病原体-高寄生物系统的长期进化动态。实证研究将检查板栗疫病系统涉及美洲板栗，板栗的真菌寄生虫，和真菌的双链（ds） RNA超寄生虫。其中一项实验将测试板栗种群内dsrna分布的预测，以及真菌种群间营养相容性群体的多样性。第二项研究将评估真菌和dsRNA之间的遗传相互作用，以确定病原体的毒力。病原体毒力与疾病传播率之间的关系将在第三个实验中进行评估。这项工作将确定高寄生虫感染对毒力和传播率之间关系的影响。最后一个实验将测试模型预测无dsrna和感染dsrna的菌株的相对传播率，这些菌株允许dsrna入侵真菌种群。

9509034 Jarosz The potential for cytoplasmic hyperparasites to influence the dynamics of plant-pathogen interactions will be the focus of this collaborative research project. The theoretical portion of the research has three objectives: (1) to identify conditions that allow the hyperparasite to invade a pathogen population, (2) to generate predictions on the effects that hyperparasite invasion has on plant-pathogen population dynamics, and (3) to generate predictions on long-term evolutionary dynamics of the plant-pathogen-hyperparasite system. Empirical studies will examine the chestnut blight system involving the American chestnut, the fungal parasite of chestnut, and a double stranded (ds) RNA hyperparasite of the fungus. One experiment will test predictions for the distribution of dsRNAs within chestnut populations, and the diversity of vegetative compatibility groups with and among fungal populations. A second study will evaluate the genetic interaction between the fungus and dsRNA in determining pathogen virulence. The relation between pathogen virulence and disease transmission rates will be evaluated in a third experiment. This work will determine the influence of hyperparasite infection on the relationship between virulence and transmission rate. The last experiment will test model predictions on the relative transmission rates of dsRNA-free and dsRNA-infected lines that allow dsRNAs to invade fungal populations.