Genetic Diversity in the Perennial Ryegrass Fungal Endophyte Neotyphodium lolii

  • Eline van Zijll de Jong
  • Nathaniel R. Bannan
  • Jacqueline Batley
  • Kathryn M. Guthridge
  • German C. Spangenberg
  • Kevin F. Smith
  • John W. Forster
Conference paper
Part of the Developments in Plant Breeding book series (DIPB, volume 11)

Abstract

Expressed sequence tag (EST) data for the grass fungal endophyte species Neotyphodium lolii and N. coenophialum has been used to generate a comprehensive set of simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers for the genetic analysis of the grass-endophyte symbiosis. Initial analysis of reference isolates from the perennial ryegrass endophyte N. lolii revealed low levels of genetic variation. Twenty-two EST-SSR markers were assembled into multiplex panels for in planta detection and genetic polymorphism analysis of the endophyte. The markers were shown to be endophyte-specific and effective at low mass-ratios of endophyte to plant genomic DNA. Genetic variation has been assessed in plants obtained from a globally distributed perennial ryegrass germplasm collection, as well as from Australian farms with variable incidence of endophyte-dependent livestock toxicosis and a perennial ryegrass variety containing an endophyte associated with reduced toxic effects. The reference isolates span the majority of the observed genetic variation in this sample, suggesting that relatively little genetic variation is present within the species, and that quantitative variation for expression of endophyte characters may be more associated with host grass genotypic differences. The geographical pattern of diversity of European-derived endophytes shows some similarity with the distribution of chloroplast DNA haplotype in perennial ryegrass, as may be expected for symbionts with matrilinear inheritance. This data supports the model of a monophyletic origin for N. lolii and dispersion from the Near East associated with ancient human migrations.

Key words

Neotyphodium simple sequence repeats in planta detection genetic diversity 
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Copyright information

© Kluwer Academic Publishers 2004

Authors and Affiliations

  • Eline van Zijll de Jong
    • 1
    • 4
  • Nathaniel R. Bannan
    • 2
    • 4
  • Jacqueline Batley
    • 1
    • 4
  • Kathryn M. Guthridge
    • 3
  • German C. Spangenberg
    • 1
    • 4
  • Kevin F. Smith
    • 2
    • 4
  • John W. Forster
    • 1
    • 4
  1. 1.Plant Biotechnology Centre,Primary Industries Research Victoria, Department of Primary IndustriesLa Trobe UniversityBundooraAustralia
  2. 2.Primary Industries Research Victoria,Department of Primary IndustriesPastoral and Veterinary InstituteHamiltonAustralia
  3. 3.Centre for Environmental Stress and Adaptation ResearchLa Trobe UniversityBundooraAustralia
  4. 4.CRC for Molecular Plant BreedingAustralia

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