The Two Mating Types
P. ramorum is heterothallic and has two mating types A1 and A2 required for sexual reproduction. Interestingly, the European population is predominantly A1 while both mating types A1 and A2 are found in North America. Genetics of the two isolates indicate that they are reproductively isolated. On average the A1 mating type is more virulent than the A2 mating type but there is more variation in the pathogenicity of A2 isolates. It is currently not clear whether this pathogen can reproduce sexually in nature and genetic work has suggested that the lineages of the two mating types might be isolated reproductively or geographically given the evolutionary divergence observed.
Read more about this topic: Sudden Oak Death
Famous quotes containing the words mating and/or types:
“The elephant, not only the largest but the most intelligent of animals, provides us with an excellent example. It is faithful and tenderly loving to the female of its choice, mating only every third year and then for no more than five days, and so secretly as never to be seen, until, on the sixth day, it appears and goes at once to wash its whole body in the river, unwilling to return to the herd until thus purified. Such good and modest habits are an example to husband and wife.”
—St. Francis De Sales (1567–1622)
“Science is intimately integrated with the whole social structure and cultural tradition. They mutually support one other—only in certain types of society can science flourish, and conversely without a continuous and healthy development and application of science such a society cannot function properly.”
—Talcott Parsons (1902–1979)