EPPO Bulletin (2000) 30, 549-553

J.G. McDonald, E. Wong and G.P. White (2000)
Differentiation of Tilletia taxa by rep-PCR genomic fingerprinting
EPPO Bulletin 30 (3-4), 549-553
Abstract: The potential of repetitive-sequence-based polymerase chain reaction (rep-PCR) fingerprinting of fungal genomic DNA as a rapid and simple alternative to random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis in the study of phylogenetic relationships, and also as a diagnostic method, was investigated with species of Tilletia. DNA primers (BOX, ERIC and REP) corresponding to conserved repetitive element motifs, originally described in prokaryotes, were used to generate genomic fingerprints of T. indica, T. walkeri, T. controversa, T. laevis, T. tritici, T. goloskokovii, T. barclayana and members of the T. fusca complex. Computer-assisted analysis of the database of combined fingerprints clearly distinguished each taxon and indicated phylogenetic relationships consistent with previously reported RAPD analyses. There were three main cluster groupings where isolates showed 35-40% similarity. Group 1 included T. indica and T. walkeri, group 2 included members of the T. fusca complex, as well as T. controversa, T. laevis, T. tritici and T. goloskokovii, and group 3 included only T. barclayana. If, as is likely, the conserved repetitive element motifs on which this technique is based are widespread or universal in fungal species, rep-PCR shows strong potential, not only as a simple generic taxonomic tool, but also as a diagnostic method.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
identification/taxonomy
surveys/sampling/distribution

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Tilletia indica
	Tilletia laevis
	Tilletia caries
	Tilletia controversa
	Tilletia horrida
	Tilletia walkeri