RFLP MARKERS SHOW GENETIC-RECOMBINATION IN BOTRYOTINIA-FUCKELIANA (BOTRYTIS-CINEREA) AND TRANSPOSABLE ELEMENTS REVEAL 2 SYMPATRIC SPECIES

Molecular markers revealed that Botryotinia fuckeliana (the teleomorph of Botrytis cinerea), a haploid, filamentous, heterothallic ascomycet e, contained a large amount of intrapopulation genetic variation. The markers were used to determine the mode of reproduction and the popula tion structure of this fungus. We did not detect any differentiation b etween isolates from different organs, collection dates, varieties of grape, or locations in the Champagne region of France, but two unexpec ted sympatric populations were identified. One group of isolates (tran sposa) contained the transposable elements Boty and Flipper; the other (vacuma) did not. These groups differed from one another for all the other markers. RFLP markers showed that there was genetic recombinatio n in both groups of isolates. We conclude that there are two sympatric populations of B. fuckeliana in Champagne. One species (transposa) se ems to be local and well adapted, while the other one (vacuma) is pres umably a heterogeneous migrant population.