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

9528966泰勒，细胞质重寄生菌影响植物-病原菌相互作用动态的潜力将是这一合作研究项目的重点。这项研究的理论部分有三个目标：(1)确定允许重寄生虫入侵病原菌种群的条件，(2)预测重寄生虫入侵对植物-病原菌种群动态的影响，(3)对植物-病原菌-重寄生虫系统的长期进化动态进行预测。实验研究将检验板栗疫病系统，涉及美国板栗、板栗的真菌寄生虫和该真菌的双链(DS)RNA重寄生虫。一项实验将测试dsRNAs在板栗种群中的分布预测，以及营养体亲和群与真菌种群之间的多样性。第二项研究将评估这种真菌和dsRNA之间的遗传相互作用，以确定病原体的毒力。第三个实验将评估病原体毒力和疾病传播率之间的关系。这项工作将确定重寄生虫感染对毒力和传播率关系的影响。最后一个实验将测试模型对不含dsRNA和感染dsRNA的品系的相对传播率的预测，这些品系允许dsRNA入侵真菌种群。

9528966 Taylor 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 o`jectives: (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.