Population Genetics

1. Schedule (Approx.)
PlantHealth “Plant health in sustainable cropping systems”
Population Genetics
Mónica Berbegal Martínez
mobermar@etsia.upv.es
Office in:
Plant Pathology Laboratory Building 3K 2nd floor
Lectures classroom in Building CFP
Introduction practice Entomology and Plant Pathology Lab (Building 3J)
Informatics practice classroom in Building CFP
Exam 11 January Final Exam at the end of January
(date, time and classroom to be confirmed)
2023-2024

2. Grading
FINAL MARK based on:
- exam results (60%) including test and open answer questions
- assigments (40%)
PlantHealth “Plant health in sustainable cropping systems”
Students are expected to have access to a personal computer, Microsoft Excel, R and Rstudio software
• Introduction to Population Genetics
• Genetic markers for Population Genetics
• Sampling and estimation of genetic diversity
• Mutation and random genetic drift
• Natural selection
• Migration and population structure
• Recombination and randomly mating populations
Contents

3. Basic Books
Population Genetics
• Milgroom, M. G. 2015. Population Biology of Plant Pathogens. Genetics, ecology and evolution. The American
Phytopathological Society. St. Paul, Minnesota, USA.
• Hartl, D. L., and Clark, A. G. 2007. Principles of Population Genetics. 4th ed. Sunderland, MA: Sinauer Associates.

4. Avise, J. C. 2004. Molecular Markers, Natural History, and Evolution. Second ed. Sunderland, MA:
Sinauer Associates.
Hedrick, P. W. 2000. Genetics of Populations. Second ed. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.
Nei, M. 1987. Molecular Evolutionary Genetics. New York: Columbia University Press.
Templeton, A. R. 2006. Population Genetics and Microevolutionary Theory. John Whiley & Sons,
Hoboken, NJ.
Weir, B. S. 1996. Genetic Data Analysis. Second ed. Sunderland, MA: Sinauer Associates Inc.
Other Books
Population Genetics

5. Basic Papers
• Grünwald NJ, Evenhart SE, Knaus BJ, Kamvar ZN, 2017. Best Practices for Population Genetic Analyses.
Phytopathology, 107: 1000-1010
• Grünwald NJ, Goodwin SB, Milgroom MG, Fry WE, 2003. Analysis of genotypic divesity data for populations of
microorganisms. Phytopathology93: 738-746.
• Grünwald NJ, Goss EM, 2011. Evolution and population genetics of exotic and re-emerging pathogens: novel
tools and approaches. Annu. Rev. Phytopathol. 39: 157-186
• Milgroom MG. 2001. The synthesis of genetics and epidemiology: contributions of population biology in plant
pathology. J. Plant Pathol. 83: 57-62
•Grünwald NJ, McDonald BA, Milgroom MG. 2016. Population Genomics of Fungal and Oomycete Pathogens
•Population Genomics of Fungal and Oomycete Pathogens
Population Genetics

6. - organisms: human beings, animals, plants or microbes
- populations: natural, agricultural or experimental
- environment: city, farm, field or forest
- habitat: soil, water or air
Applied to
Study of the distribution in space and time of genetic diversity resulting from certain evolutionary forces or processes
Mutation
Random genetic drift
Natural selection
Migration
Recombination
Population Genetics

7. MANY FIELDS OF MODERN BIOLOGY
genetics
genomics
evolutionary and molecular biology
computational biology
systematics
plant and animal breeding
ecology
natural history
forestry
agronomy
conservation and wildlife management
etc…
Because of its wide range view, a working knowledge of population genetics has become essential in…
Population Genetics

8. Practical applications of population genetics are extensive. Many applications particularly those relevant to human beings also have
important implications in ethics and social policy.
Some examples of applications of population genetics in medicine, conservation and research, are:
From: Principles of Population Genetics (2007)
• Genetic mapping and identification of genes for disease susceptibility in human beings
• Design of studies to sample and preserve a record of genetic variation among human populations throughout the world
• Improvement of domesticated animals and crops
• Organization of mating programs for the preservation of endangered species in for example wildlife refuges
• Sampling and preservation of germ plasms of potentially beneficial plants and animals that may vanish from the wild
• Analysis of genes and genomes among the same, closely related or diverse species to determine their evolutionary
relationships
Population Genetics

9. Population Genetics in Plant Pathology
Breeding programs
Disease management and
fungicide resistance
Population genetics analysis is a powerful tool to understand how pathogens change and adapt
EVOLUTION
Applied implications
emergence of
new pathogens
management of
pathogens
Some biological questions we will be able to answer…..
 Are populations differentiated?
 Is this population introduced?
 Are there sink or source populations?
 Where is the center of origin of diversity?

10. MAIN OBJECTIVE OF THE COURSE
Our objective is not to make an extensive review of the field, we will not go deep into some areas, interested
students can find references for more advanced knowledge
Major groups of plant pathogens (fungi, oomycetes, virus, bacteria and nematodes) will be addressed to some
degree although not equally
Population genetics is a fast-moving field, technologies and analytical methods are rapidly changing and their
cost coming down becoming more and more accessible. Similarly, software programs for data analysis are
changing quickly
INTRODUCE THE BASIC CONCEPTS
OF POPULATION GENETICS
TO UNDERSTAND EVOLUTIONARY
FORCES OR PROCESSES IN PLANT
PATHOGENS
Population Genetics in Plant Pathology