A TaqMan® Assay Allows an Accurate Detection and Quantification of Fusarium spp., the Causal Agents of Tomato Wilt and Rot Diseases

Autor: Maria Doroteia Campos, Carla Varanda, Mariana Patanita, Joana Amaro Ribeiro, Catarina Campos, Patrick Materatski, André Albuquerque, Maria do Rosário Félix
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2023
Předmět:
Zdroj: Biology, Vol 12, Iss 2, p 268 (2023)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 2079-7737
37404881
DOI: 10.3390/biology12020268
Popis: In tomato plants, Fusarium spp. have been increasingly associated with several wilt and rot diseases that are responsible for severe yield losses. Here, we present a real-time PCR TaqMan® MGB (Minor Groove Binder) assay to detect and discriminate Fusarium spp. from other fungal species that affect tomato plants. The methodology used is based on the selective amplification of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of Fusarium spp. This assay revealed to be highly specific and sensitive for Fusarium species, targeting only the 29 Fusarium isolates from the 45 tested isolates associated to tomato diseases. Sensitivity was assessed with serial dilutions of Fusarium genomic DNA, with the limit of detection of 3.05 pg. An absolute DNA quantification method was also established, based on the determination of the absolute number of target copies. Finally, the effectiveness of the assay was successfully validated with the detection and quantification of Fusarium spp. in potentially infected tomato plants from an experimental field and in control plants grown under controlled conditions. The established methodology allows a reliable, sensitive, and reproducible estimation of Fusarium accumulation in infected tomato plants, gaining new insights for disease control and providing an additional tool in the screening of resistant plants.
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