Diversification and Host Specialization in the Botrytis Genus

The genus Botrytis represents one of the most economically important groups of plant-pathogenic fungi, notorious for causing post-harvest losses in agricultural and horticultural systems. This genus contains over 30 recognized species, spanning a remarkable spectrum of host interactions: the generalist B. cinerea infects more than 1,400 species across 600 genera, while specialists like B. tulipae exhibit a narrow focus on hosts within the genus Tulipa. Recent phylogenetic analyses reveal that Botrytis species cluster into two main clades, generalists on eudicot hosts and specialists on monocot hosts.

Despite their prominence, the drivers of diversification within Botrytis remain poorly understood. Why do some species evolve toward extreme host generalism, while others become tightly specialized? What traits underlie these divergent strategies? Although Botrytis species deploy a variety of specialized metabolites and effector proteins during infection, most remain uncharacterized across the genus. This knowledge gap presents an opportunity to correlate evolutionary relationships with metabolomic diversity, shedding light on the biochemical innovations that shaped host range.

Equally uncertain is the role of primary metabolic traits—such as growth rate and nutrient acquisition—in determining host preference. Do faster-growing lineages correlate with broader host ranges, or do nutrient assimilation strategies underpin specialization? Addressing these questions requires integrated comparisons of both primary and specialized metabolism, alongside phylogenetic frameworks.

My group applies phylogenomic approaches to unravel these macroevolutionary patterns of host diversification. By connecting genomic variation, metabolomic traits, and host preference, we aim to clarify how the Botrytis lineage radiated into one of the most impactful genera of plant pathogens. This work creates fertile ground for collaboration across evolutionary biology, metabolomics, and plant pathology, offering new perspectives on the ecological and evolutionary dynamics of host–pathogen interactions.