Journal of Plant Pathology (2005) 87, 278-279

N. Luchi, P. Capretti, P. Pinzani, C. Orlando, M. Pazzagli, A. Vettraino and A. Vannini (2005)
Real-time PCR: A molecular tool for the early detection of fungal diseases in forest trees
Journal of Plant Pathology 87 (4), 278-279
XII Meeting, Italian Society for Plant Pathology, Reggio Calabria, 29/9 - 1/10, 2005
Abstract: During the last few years, molecular detection techniques like real-time PCR have become important tools for the identification of pathogens in asymptomatic plants and, more recently, for the study of fungal diseases in forest trees and for assessing and quantifying mycoflora fluctuations in latent phase. Some of these pathogens are difficult to isolate on agar media, while others are masked by endophytic micro-organisms that overgrow them in vitro. In this study a real-time PCR assay was developed for detection of fungi in symptomless tissues of three pathosystems: Sphaeropsis sapinea/Pinus nigra, Biscogniauxia mediterranea/Quercus cerris or Quercus ilex, and Biscogniauxia nummularia/Fagus sylvatica. Samples collected from one-year-old shoots of asymptomatic trees were divided in two portions: one for isolations on PDA, as control, and the other for DNA extraction. Real-time PCR was done using TaqMan™ chemistry after designing specific primers and probes for each fungal species and testing them on axenic cultures (Luchi et al., 2005, LAM 41: 61-68). The detection threshold of the assay ranged from 0.001 to 0.01 pg of DNA. Pathogenic fungi were detected by real-time PCR in symptomless shoots with percentages ranging from 75% to 95%. This study confirmed the endophytic habit of the investigated fungi, which may affect trees subjected to environmental stresses.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Database assignments for author(s): Anna Maria Vettraino, Nicola Luchi, Andrea Vannini, Paolo Capretti

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.
	Diplodia sapinea	Pine (Pinus)
	Biscogniauxia mediterranea	Oak (Quercus)
	Biscogniauxia nummularia	Beech (Fagus)