Beschreibung:
<jats:p> Knowledge of the ecology and biology of Rhabdocline pseudotsugae Sydow is still at a very early stage. Recent results indicate the existence of an endophytic stage of the fungus in the form of symptomless infections in various Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) tissue types. This study represents the first description of genetic variation between and within two populations of R. pseudotsugae. Needles featuring fruiting bodies of R. pseudotsugae were collected from sample areas in Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia (in Germany), with different fungal genotypes distinguished using the start codon targeted polymorphism (SCoT) and branch point signal sequences (BPS) techniques. Five of the 20 primers tested could be selected for further investigation. A total of 349 fragments were amplified at an average of 69.8 fragments per primer. Results showed the two sample areas to exhibit a high degree of both genetic variability and genetic diversity. A clear differentiation between the sample areas was not observed. There was nevertheless a clear connection between the genetic distance and spatial distribution of the fruiting bodies of R. pseudotsugae within the sample areas themselves. </jats:p>