Coexistence of Multiple Endemic and Pandemic Lineages of the Rice Blast Pathogen

The rice blast fungus (syn., ) is both a threat to global food security and a model for plant pathology. Molecular pathologists need an accurate understanding of the origins and line of descent of populations in order to identify the genetic and functional bases of pathogen adaptation and to guide the development of more effective control strategies. We used a whole-genome sequence analysis of samples from different times and places to infer details about the genetic makeup of from a global collection of isolates. Analyses of population structure identified six lineages within , including two pandemic on japonica and indica rice, respectively, and four lineages with more restricted distributions. Tip-dating calibration indicated that lineages separated about a millennium ago, long after the initial domestication of rice. The major lineage endemic to continental Southeast Asia displayed signatures of sexual recombination and evidence of DNA acquisition from multiple lineages. Tests for weak natural selection revealed that the pandemic spread of clonal lineages entailed an evolutionary "cost," in terms of the accumulation of deleterious mutations. Our findings reveal the coexistence of multiple endemic and pandemic lineages with contrasting population and genetic characteristics within a widely distributed pathogen. The rice blast fungus (syn., ) is a textbook example of a rapidly adapting pathogen, and it is responsible for one of the most damaging diseases of rice. Improvements in our understanding of 's diversity and evolution are required to guide the development of more effective control strategies. We used genome sequencing data for samples from around the world to infer the evolutionary history of We found that diversified about 1,000 years ago, separating into six main lineages: two pandemic on japonica and indica rice, respectively, and four with more restricted distributions. We also found that a lineage endemic to continental Southeast Asia displayed signatures of sexual recombination and the acquisition of genetic material from multiple lineages. This work provides a population-level genomic framework for defining molecular markers for the control of rice blast and investigations of the molecular basis of differences in pathogenicity between lineages.