Identification of quantitative trait loci affecting virulence in the basidiomycete Heterobasidion annosum s.l.

Identification of virulence factors of phytopathogens is important for the fundamental understanding of infection and disease progress in plants and for the development of control strategies. We have identified quantitative trait loci (QTL) for virulence on 1-year-old Pinus sylvestris and 2-year-old Picea abies seedlings and positioned them on a genetic linkage map of the necrotrophic phytopathogen Heterobasidion annosum sensu lato (s.l.), a major root rot pathogen on conifers. The virulence of 102 progeny isolates was analysed using two measurements: lesion lengths and fungal growth in sapwood from a cambial infection site. We found negative virulence effects of hybridization although this was contradicted on a winter-hardened spruce. On P. abies, both measurements identified several partially overlapping QTLs on linkage group (LG) 15 of significant logarithm of odds (LOD) values ranging from 2.31 to 3.85. On P. sylvestris, the lesion length measurement also identified a QTL (LOD 3.09) on LG 15. Moreover, QTLs on two separate smaller LGs, with peak LOD values of 2.78 and 4.58 were identified for fungal sapwood growth and lesion lengths, respectively. The QTL probably represent loci important for specific as well as general aspects of virulence on P. sylvestris and P. abies.