LIFE CYCLE and GENETIC DIVERSITY of WILLOW RUSTS (Melampsora Spp.) in EUROPE
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ACTA AGROBOTANICA Vol. 64 (1): 3–10 2011 LIFE CYCLE AND GENETIC DIVERSITY OF WILLOW RUSTS (Melampsora spp.) IN EUROPE Joanna Ciszewska-Marciniak, Małgorzata Jędryczka Institute of Plant Genetics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poznań, Poland e-mail: [email protected] Received: 19.11.2010 Abstract energy (Szczukowski et al. 2005; T rybush et The paper is a review of classical and recent studies on al. 2008), the study of its pathogens is regarded as sig- willow rusts in Europe, with special reference to short rotation nificant. coppice willows used for biomass production, such as common osier willow (Salix viminalis L.). The review presents the taxo- CLASSIFICATION OF RUST FUNGI nomic classification of rust fungi from the genus Melampsora spp. We present a list of telial hosts (genus Salix) as well as ae- The rust fungi belong to the class Pucciniomyce- cial hosts for different rust species. The life cycle of this fungal tes and the order Pucciniales. They contain about 7,000 pathogen is described in detail from the epidemiological and species (Webster and Weber, 2007), which are genetic point of view. The DNA polymorphism of M. larici- grouped in more than 100 genera (Cummins and epitea, the rust species most responsible for severe yield losses Hiratsuka, 1983; Ono and Aime, 2006). The po- of plant biomass, is characterised based on RAPD, AFLP and pular name “rust fungi” refers to the reddish – brown RFLP-PCR methods. colour of urediniospores which are produced in dense pustules on the host plant surface (leaf or stem), giving Key words: willow, Salix sp., rust, Melampsora spp., life cyc- them a “rusted” appearance. le, genetic diversity, short rotation coppice The rust fungi are unique in many aspects. They are biotrophs, i.e., they can thrive only on the living INTRODUCTION tissue of plants. Their life cycle is complex, consisting of five spore stages (Fig. 1). They are either heteroe- The leaf rust, caused by Melampsora spp., is cious or autoecious. Heteroecoius species infect two the most widespread and frequent disease of biomass plant hosts which are taxonomically unrelated to each willows (Salix), planted for renewable energy, in other. Autoecious species, on the other hand, complete many parts of Europe (P e i et. al. 1999; Samils, their life cycle on the same plant host. A significant 2001; M c Cracken and Dawson, 2003; feature of these fungal species is their host specifici- Rönnberg-Wästljung et al. 2008; Przy- ty, i.e., a specific group of rust is capable of infecting borowski and Sulima, 2010). It can defoliate a certain range of plant species (P e i et al. 2005). willows and predisposes them to other diseases. In The rust fungi cause diseases on a wide range extreme cases, it can reduce yield as much as 40% of plant species, including trees (e.g., willow, poplar, (Parker et. al. 1993). The willow rust, one of the pine, apple, coffee), cereals (e.g., wheat, oats, barley), most important limiting factors for biomass producti- vegetables (e.g., bean, asparagus), other field crops vity, is well established in the UK, and all countries of (e.g., cotton, soybean), and ornamentals (e.g., carna- Western Europe – especially in Sweden where willow tion, chrysanthemum, snapdragon) (A g rios, 2005). biomass production fields are frequent. The fungi of The taxonomy of the rust fungi bases on te- the genus Melampsora are damaging agents for wil- liospore morphology, however it has been changing lows in Poland (R emlein-Starosta, 2007; J e - throughout the years. At first, four families were dist- dryczka et. al. 2008). As the green energy is pro- inguished within the order Uredinales (now: Puccinia- jected to make an important contribution to the future les). Later, the number of families was reduced to two: 4 Joanna Ciszewska-Marciniak, Małgorzata Jędryczka Melampsoraceae and Pucciniaceae. Cummins and and Henderson (1966), based on Hylander’s sy- Hiratsuka (1983, 2003) proposed a 13- to 14-fa- stem, gathers various species and races that are similar mily system. In their system, only the genus Melamp- in morphology, but alternate on hosts of different ge- sora is included in the family Melampsoraceae. nera, into one collective species – M. epitea Thüm. TAXONOMY OF WILLOW RUST HOST GENUS SALIX The genus Melampsora was established by Willows (Salix L.) belong to the family of Sa- Castagne in 1843 (cited by Pei, 2005). The main licaceae. The genus Salix is one of the largest in the characteristic of the genus Melampsora is the forma- northern hemisphere, as regards woody plants. The tion of a subepidermal crust of sessile, single-celled number of described willow species varies between teliospores, which are visible as black spots on the 300 – 500 worldwide, with 270 species in China, 120 host’s leaf surface (gr. melas – black, psora – scab). in the former Soviet Union, over 100 in North Ameri- The genus Melampsora contains 80-100 species and ca, and some 65 willow species in Europe (A rgus, more than half have been described on Salicaceae. Of 1997; Pei, 2005). Salix species are insect-pollinated the 51 species introduced by Sydow and S ydow dioecious plants, which hybridize relatively easily. (1915), 10 were found on poplars (Populus) and 22 on This is the most probable reason of taxonomic difficul- willows (Salix), both belonging to Salicaceae (P e i , ties. Willows are grouped into subgenera, such as Ve- 2005). The most of Melampsora species causing wil- trix (shrub willows), Chamaetia (dwarf willows), and low and poplar rusts are heteroecious. Heteroecious Salix (tree willows). As far as there is an agreement rust species alternate usually on conifers, but also on among taxonomists on the recognition of species ty- dicotyledonous and monocotyledonous plants (P e i , pically forming trees (Salix), the classification of wil- 2005). Alternate hosts for the genus Melampsora fun- lows of the subgenera Vetrix and Chamaetia is proble- gi have been described by Gäumman (1959), and matical, because they differ widely in their morpholo- they are as follows: Abies, Allium, Euonymus, Larix, gy. Almost all willows planted for biomass production Ribes, Saxifraga, Viola, and some species of Orchi- belong to the subgenus Vetrix, which consists of 1520 daceae. The majority of autoecious fungi of Melamp- species (P e i et al. 1996). sora spp. occur on dicotyledonous plants (e.g. Euphor- biaceae and Linaceae) (P e i et al. 2005), and there is LIFE CYCLE one autoecious species, M. amygdalinae Kleb., which occurs on willow plants (S ydow and Sydow, The life cycle of the fungi belonging to the ge- 1915; Gäumman, 1959). It was proved that the oc- nus Melamspora is complex, including five different currence of an alternate host adjacent to the primary spore stages, i.e., basidiospores, spermatia, aeciospo- willow host caused earlier and more severe rust attacks res, urediniospores, and teliospores (Fig. 1). It is pro- (Samils et al. 2001b). bably the most complex life cycle found anywhere in The taxonomy of fungal species belonging to nature (Webster and Weber, 2007). Melampsora spp. is unclear. Within willow rust spe- The spread of rust on a willow host takes place cies, special forms and pathotypes can occur, each ca- during the summer and includes several repeated cycles pable of infecting certain group of willow plants (P e i of clonal propagation of urediniospores. The uredinio- et al. 1996; Samils et al. 2003). Moreover, the oc- spores are capable to produce the next generation in 6-7 currence of these special forms and pathotypes may days (Pei et. al. 1996). The fungus develops telio- vary between geographical regions (P e i et al. 1999). spores in late summer and autumn, and overwinters on Many rust species were described in the late 19th to fallen willow leaves. In the spring, they germinate to early 20th century and they were established based on produce basidiospores which are capable to infect the their morphology, alternate host and the telial host alternate host – larch (Larix), on which asexual repro- range (Gäumman, 1959; L eppik, 1972; Savi- duction takes place. Fertilization between spermatia le, 1976; Cummins and Hiratsuka, 2003). and receptive hyphae results in the formation of recom- The fact that host ranges of different rust species often binant aeciospores. The aeciospores infect new willow overlap and that these species are indistinguishable in leaves in the early summer, and in this way the life morphology, causes many difficulties in proper identi- cycle is completed. The spore stages differ, according fication of Melampsora species. Gäumman (1959) to their nuclear condition. The basidiospores and sper- proposed a taxonomic system that regards rust fungi matia are monocarytotic, containing a single haploid with different alternate hosts as distinct species. H y - nucleus (1n), while aeciospores and urediniospores are lander et al. (1953) recognized Melampsora epitea dikaryotic, having two haploid nuclei (1n + 1n). The te- Thüm. as a complex species to include species of simi- liospores are dikaryotic in the early phase, but later the lar morphology. Another system created by Wilson two nuclei fuse (2n) forming a diploid cell (Fig. 2). Life cycle and genetic diversIty of willow rusts (Melampsora spp.) in Europe 5 Fig. 1. The life cycle of Melampsora spp. Fig. 2. Nuclei of Melampsora spp. at different stages of the fungus life cycle 6 Joanna Ciszewska-Marciniak, Małgorzata Jędryczka RUSTS SPECIES f.sp. larici – purpurea Schneid., f.sp. larici – retusae ON WILLOW PLANTS Fischer, f.sp. larici – reticulate (Sydow and Sy- dow, 1915; Gäumman, 1959). M. larici – epitea Of all willow species, the most popular in bio- was observed on several willow species, i.e. S. aurita, mass plantations is common osier willow S. viminalis S. caprea, S. cinerea, S.