Influence of Naturally Occurring Marker Genes on the Ability ofCochliobolus heterostrophusto Induce Field Epidemics of Southern Corn Leaf Blight

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Abstract
Three loci in the plant pathogenic fungus C. heterostrophus were evaluated in a common genetic background under field conditions: Albl, which controls pigment production; Chyl, which conditions relative sensitivity to cycloheximide; and MAT, which determines mating type. Albino isolates with no pigment (albl) caused no measurable epidemic; cyhlR (resistant to cycloheximide) reduced the rate of epidemic development compared with CYHlS (sensitive to cycloheximide), but only in a MATa background (there was no difference when alleles at Cyhl were compared in a MATa backround); alleles at MAT had no consistent effect on epidemic development. The differneces between alleles observed in the field were not readily apparent in growth chamber experiments.