Isolation and characterization of codominant markers for the perennial canker fungal pathogen Neonectria ditissima

Neonectria ditissima is a fungal pathogen native to eastern North America that causes disfiguring cankers on numerous tree species, particularly birches (Betula spp.). In order to develop control strategies, fundamental knowledge of the pathogen's reproductive and dispersal dynamics is necessary. To undertake these studies, we developed genomic libraries enriched for clones containing microsatellites, and then designed primers flanking each locus. Of 34 loci that were screened, 11 were polymorphic among 38 isolates obtained from a single population. Gene diversities ranged from 0.05 to 0.862 with a mean of 0.409. These markers will be invaluable in population studies of this fungus.