Origin and Phylogeography of Chinese Cereal Cyst Nematode Heterodera avenae Revealed by Mitochondrial COI Sequences

• Published in: Phytopathology 2022-09, Vol.112 (9), p.1988-1997
• Main Authors: Shao, Hudie, Xue, Qing, Yao, Ke, Cui, Jiangkuan, Huang, Wenkun, Kong, Lingan, Li, Chuanren, Li, Hongmei, Peng, Deliang, Smiley, Richard, Peng, Huan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0031-949X; 1943-7684
• DOI: 10.1094/PHYTO-12-21-0532-R

, a globally distributed plant-parasitic nematode, is one of the most significant pests on cereal crops. In China, it is widely distributed in cereal-growing areas of 16 provinces and causes serious yield losses. In the present study, a total of 98 populations of were collected from major wheat-growing regions in China and six other countries. The mitochondrial genes were amplified and analyzed. Forty-one mitochondrial COI haplotypes were identified, suggesting a high genetic diversity and endemism level of in China. Phylogenetic analysis showed that populations in China were divided into four clades. Significant evolutionary and genetic differences were found between Chinese (except Hubei) and foreign populations. Hap1, the most widely distributed haplotype, was considered to be a separate evolutionary origin in China. The gene flow of from the northwestern region to the north China region and Huang-Huai-Hai region was significant, so as the direction between north China and Huang-Huai-Hai region. We speculate that water flowing from the Yellow River and mechanical harvesters promoted gene exchange among these groups. A distance-based redundancy analysis showed that genetic distances observed among populations were explained foremost not only by geographic distance but also by temperature and precipitation. This study provides theoretical support for the origin and spread of populations in China and elsewhere in the world.