Variation within and between populations of Fusarium oxysporum based on vegetative compatibility and mitochondrial DNA

Abstract

Two hundred isolates of Fusarium oxysporum, 100 from each of two different locations, were collected from agricultural field soils in the San Joaquin Valley of California. These isolates comprised 39 different vegetative compatibility groups. Based on the frequency distribution of vegetative compatibility groups, populations of F. oxysporum at the two collection sites were different. At least one isolate from each vegetative compatibility group was examined for polymorphisms in mitochondrial DNA. A total of 41 differences in mitochondrial DNA were identified, each of which was treated as a character and scored as present or absent in each strain. There were 11 unique combinations (haplotypes) of the 41 characters. Three mitochondrial DNA haplotypes were common to both sites and the remaining eight occurred at only one of the two sites. Isolates in the same vegetative compatibility group were always associated with the same mitochondrial DNA haplotype. Many isolates in different vegetative compatibility groups also shared a common mitochondrial DNA haplotype. Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. melonis, cause of Fusarium wilt of muskmelon, was associated with the same mitochondrial DNA haplotype as eight vegetative compatibility groups of F. oxysporum that were not pathogenic to muskmelon. This result may indicate that either the pathogen was a recent derivative of nonpathogenic strains at the same location or avirulent strains have been derived from the pathogen. Key words: anastomosis, fungi, heterokaryon, Fusarium wilt.