AUTHOR=Gao Fangluan , Chen Changsheng , Li Benjin , Weng Qiyong , Chen Qinghe 

TITLE=The Gene Flow Direction of Geographically Distinct Phytophthora infestans Populations in China Corresponds With the Route of Seed Potato Exchange

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=11

YEAR=2020

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2020.01077

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2020.01077

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<p><italic>Phytophthora infestans</italic> is a widespread destructive plant pathogen that causes economic losses worldwide to potato production. In this study, we sequenced four mitochondrial DNA gene sequences of 101 <italic>P</italic>. <italic>infestans</italic> isolates from five potato-growing regions in China to investigate the population structure and dispersal pattern of this pathogen. The concatenated mtDNA sequences in the populations showed high haplotype diversity, but low nucleotide diversity. Although there was a degree of spatial structure, our phylogeographic analyses support frequent gene flow between populations and the direction of gene flow, primarily from north to south, corresponds to the route of seed potato transportation, suggesting a role of human activities in the dispersal of <italic>P</italic>. <italic>infestans</italic> in China.</p>