It was a disaster that killed about one million people, and destroyed the nineteenth century IrelandHowever, although the Irish famine -related potato disease is well known, a battle has intensified around its source.
Scientists have long been divided on whether the pathogenic worker resembles fungi Phtytophthora Infestans I grew up in the Andes Mountains or I grew up in Mexico.
Now a team of researchers says that the question has been settled after conducting what they described as one of the largest fully entire genome studies and relatives – while supporting the results of its origin from South America.
“This is the way the flag works. Professor Jean -Ristino, the co -author of the research from North Carolina State University, said:” There is a hypothesis, and people doubt, test it, and provide data. “But with the passage of time, the evidence has become in favor of the Andes Mountains, because DNA does not lie, so heredity shows the proportions in that region. ”She added that the conclusion is compatible with historical documents.
“In 1845 when this scourge came Europe “They were immediately trying to know its source and the United States,” Restino said. “There were reports that the disease had occurred and was known among the indigenous Indians who were planting potatoes.”
Restino did not exclude more discussion, but he said that the amount of data available would be difficult to face.
Restino and his colleagues in Plos One writes how they conducted an analysis of microbial genres and relatives close to South America and Latin America. MexicoThe finding of those coming from Mexico has recently appeared more than others.
The team found that the modern population groups of a microbe of potato blight have a complex relationship, indicating that the groups in Mexico, the Andes and Europe Mountains have been mixed recently.
But while modern groups of microbes from the United States, Mexico and South America have all appeared from historical groups from the nineteenth century, the researchers say the Mexican groups are the latest.
“If Mexico is the center of origin, it is expected that the root of the tree will be, but it is not.”
The potato lesion is still a threat, as Restino indicated that there are strains resistant to the fungi of the fungi of the pathogen in Europe.
“Farmers should look at different types of chemicals, and companies are trying to reach various methods,” she said. “There may be a long -term solution by raising potatoes and its genes, but now it represents a global problem in many parts of the world, including developing countries in Africa, South America and England.”
Restino said that understanding the place where the potato lesion originated is important.
She said: “When you know the original center for pathogens, that is the place where you will find resistance.” “In the long run, the way this disease is managed is through the host’s resistance [this work shows] Focusing on reproductive efforts should happen again in the Andes Mountains.
Dr. David Cook of the James Hyton Institute, an expert on potato, who did not participate in the work, welcomed the research.
The origins of the pathogenic worker remains a subject of discussion, for reasons, not the least of which is that the population in South America is almost completely sexually completely, that is, by producing cloned, while the population in Mexico is mostly sexual – as expected for the center of origins such a process. Maintains diversity and helps prevent the accumulation of bad mutations over time.
He said: “What we need as a damaged evidence is a survey in South America that reveals the sexual population.”
