Quantitative detection and monitoring of Colletotrichum acutatum in strawberry leaves using real-time PCR

Real-time PCR assays for Colletotrichum acutatum , one of the most important pathogens of strawberry worldwide, were developed using primers designed to the ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer 1 (rDNA ITS1) and the β-tubulin 2 gene. Using TaqMan technology, the ITS-based assay could reliably detect as little as 50 fg genomic DNA, 100 copies of target DNA, or 25 conidia. The β-tubulin-based assay was c . 66 times less sensitive, and therefore less suitable for detection purposes. The TaqMan-ITS assay recognized all C. acutatum isolates tested from various intraspecific molecular groups, while no amplification was observed with several other Colletotrichum species or other strawberry pathogens, indicating the specificity of this assay. Detection and quantification of C. acutatum was demonstrated in artificially and naturally infected strawberry leaves. First, C. acutatum was detected in plant mixes of which only 0·001% of the tissue was infected by C. acutatum . Secondly, real-time PCR analysis of leaf samples taken at various times after inoculation indicated that the assay allowed monitoring of growth progression of C. acutatum . This real-time PCR-mediated monitoring of the pathogen was well-correlated with microscopic data, and confirmed that leaf age may play a role in the extent of C. acutatum infection. Finally, the assay allowed detection of C. acutatum in naturally infected and symptomless strawberry leaves collected from production fields and planting material.     

Molecular analyses of colletotrichum species from almond and other fruits

ABSTRACT Isolates of Colletotrichum spp. from almond, avocado, and strawberry from Israel and isolates of the pink subpopulation from almond from the United States were characterized by various molecular methods and compared with morphological identification. Taxon-specific primer analysis grouped the avocado isolates within the species C. gloeosporioides and the U.S. almond and Israeli strawberry isolates within the species C. acutatum. However, the Israeli almond isolates, previously identified morphologically as C. gloeosporioides, reacted with C. acutatum-specific primers. Arbitrarily primed polymerase chain reaction and A+T-rich DNA analyses determined that each population from almond and strawberry was distinct and clonal. Sequence analysis of the complete internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region (ITS 1-5.8S-ITS 2) revealed a similarity of between 97.03 and 98.72% among almond isolates from Israel, C. acutatum almond isolates from the United States, and C. acutatum strawberry isolates from Israel. Similarity of the above populations to that of C. gloeosporioides of avocado was between 92.42 and 92.86%. DNA sequence analysis of the entire ITS region supported the phylogeny inferred from the ITS 1 tree of 14 different Colletotrichum species. Although morphological criteria indicated that the Israeli isolates from almond are unique, this population was grouped within the C. acutatum species according to molecular analyses.     

Characterization of colletotrichum isolates from tamarillo, passiflora, and mango in Colombia and identification of a unique species from the genus

ABSTRACT This study was conducted to identify the species of Colletotrichum infecting tamarillo, mango, and passiflora in Colombia and to assess whether cross-infection between host species is occurring. Isolates of Colletotrichum spp. from tamarillo (n = 54), passiflora (n = 26), and mango (n = 15) were characterized by various molecular methods and by morphological criteria. Morphological characterization grouped the tamarillo isolates as C. acutatum and the passiflora and mango isolates as C. gloeosporioides. Species-specific primer analysis was reliable and confirmed grouping of the tamarillo isolates (besides Tom-6) as C. acutatum and the mango isolates (besides Man-76) as C. gloeosporioides. However, DNA of the passiflora isolates was not amplified by either C. acutatum- or C. gloeosporioides-specific primers, but reacted with a new primer, Col1, designed according to the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) 1 region of these isolates. Isolates Tom-6 and Man-76 also reacted positively with the Col1 primer. All the isolates reacting with the C. acutatum- and C. gloeosporioides-specific primers failed to react with primer Col1. Isolate Pass-35 from passiflora did not react with any of the taxon-specific primers. Arbitrarily primed polymerase chain reaction (ap-PCR), random amplified polymerase DNA (RAPD)-PCR, and A+T-rich DNA analyses delineated representative isolates into subgroups within the designated species. Molecular analyses indicated that the C. acutatum tamarillo isolates were uniform or clonal, whereas the C. gloeosporioides mango isolates and Colletotrichum passiflora isolates were heterogeneous. Likewise, sequence analysis of the complete ITS (ITS1-5.8S-ITS2) region identified certain isolates to their respective species: tamarillo isolates as C. acutatum; mango isolates as C. gloeosporioides; passiflora, Tom-6, and Man-76 isolates as a Colletotrichum sp. as yet undefined; and the Pass-35 isolate as an additional undefined Colletot-richum sp. Molecular analyses of the population of Colletotrichum isolates from passiflora, Tom-6 from tamarillo, and Man-76 from mango indicate that this population may not be host specific.     

Development of protocols for detection of Colletotrichum acutatum and monitoring of strawberry anthracnose using real-time PCR

Real-time PCR (TaqMan®) assays were developed for the specific detection and discrimination of Colletotrichum spp., C. acutatum and C. gloeosporioides causing anthracnose in strawberry using the most divergent area of the internal transcribed spacers (ITS1 and ITS2) and 5·8S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene region. The specificity of the new assays was tested using DNA from six species of Colletotrichum and nine fungal species commonly found associated with strawberry material, and additionally by comparing the sequences with those from databases using a blast search. The sequences only showed identity with homologous sequences from the desired target organisms. The new assays were 10–100 times more sensitive than conventional PCR methods previously published for the diagnosis of strawberry anthracnose. When real-time PCR was compared with ELISA methods, PCR improved the sensitivity of the identification by obtaining positive results for samples of strawberry plant material that tested negative with ELISA. The development of C. acutatum was monitored using artificially infected strawberry crowns from two strawberry cultivars (Camarosa and Ventana) and a real-time PCR assay specific for this species between January and June 2006. The amount of C. acutatum detected using real-time PCR varied significantly by month ( P  < 0·001), but not by cultivar ( P  = 0·394). The new assays were shown to be useful tools for rapid detection and identification of these pathogens and to allow rapid and accurate assessment of the casual agents of anthracnose in strawberry.     

Detection of Colletotrichum coccodes from soil and potato tubers by conventional and quantitative real-time PCR

Colletotrichum coccodes is the causal agent of the potato blemish disease black dot. Two PCR primer sets were designed to sequences of the ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS1 and ITS2) regions for use in a nested PCR. The genus-specific outer primers (Cc1F1/Cc2R1) were designed to regions common to Colletotrichum spp., and the species-specific nested primers (Cc1NF1/Cc2NR1) were designed to sequences unique to C . coccodes . The primer sets amplified single products of 447 bp (Cc1F1/Cc2R1) and 349 bp (Cc1NF1/Cc2NR1) with DNA extracted from 33 European and North American isolates of C. coccodes. The specificity of primers Cc1NF1/Cc2NR1 was confirmed by the absence of amplified product with DNA of other species representing the six phylogenetic groups of the genus Colletotrichum and 46 other eukaryotic and prokaryotic plant pathogenic species. A rapid procedure for the direct extraction of DNA from soil and potato tubers was used to verify the PCR assay for detecting C. coccodes in environmental samples. The limit of sensitivity of PCR for the specific detection of C. coccodes when inoculum was added to soils was 3·0 spores per g, or the equivalent of 0·06 microsclerotia per g soil, the lowest level of inoculum tested. Colletotrichum coccodes was also detected by PCR in naturally infested soil and from both potato peel and peel extract from infected and apparently healthy tubers. Specific primers and a TaqMan fluorogenic probe were designed to perform quantitative real-time (TaqMan) PCR to obtain the same levels of sensitivity for detection of C. coccodes in soil and tubers during a first-round PCR as with conventional nested PCR and gel electrophoresis. This rapid and quantitative PCR diagnostic assay allows an accurate estimation of tuber and soil contamination by C. coccodes .     

Genetic diversity and pathogenic variability among isolates of colletotrichum species from strawberry

ABSTRACT Ninety-five isolates of Colletotrichum including 81 isolates of C. acutatum (62 from strawberry) and 14 isolates of C. gloeosporioides (13 from strawberry) were characterized by various molecular methods and pathogenicity tests. Results based on random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) polymorphism and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) 2 sequence data provided clear genetic evidence of two subgroups in C. acutatum. The first subgroup, characterized as CA-clonal, included only isolates from strawberry and exhibited identical RAPD patterns and nearly identical ITS2 sequence analysis. A larger genetic group, CA-variable, included isolates from various hosts and exhibited variable RAPD patterns and divergent ITS2 sequence analysis. Within the C. acutatum population isolated from strawberry, the CA-clonal group is prevalent in Europe (54 isolates of 62). A subset of European C. acutatum isolates isolated from strawberry and representing the CA-clonal and CA-variable groups was assigned to two pathogenicity groups. No correlation could be drawn between genetic and pathogenicity groups. On the basis of molecular data, it is proposed that the CA-clonal subgroup contains closely related, highly virulent C. acutatum isolates that may have developed host specialization to strawberry. C. gloeosporioides isolates from Europe, which were rarely observed were either slightly or nonpathogenic on strawberry. The absence of correlation between genetic polymorphism and geographical origin in Colletotrichum spp. suggests a worldwide dissemination of isolates, probably through international plant exchanges.     

Specific detection of Phytophthora cactorum in diseased strawberry plants using nested polymerase chain reaction

Validated protocols for DNA purification and PCR amplification are reported for detection of Phytophthora cactorum in diseased strawberry plants. To remove PCR inhibitors, necrotic strawberry tissues were soaked in 5% alconox solution for >12 h before DNA extraction, and the extracted genomic DNA was embedded in an agarose gel chamber and subjected to electrophoresis. The purified DNA was amplified reliably by PCR. Nested PCR was used to detect a portion of the rRNA gene of P. cactorum in samples. In the first round of PCR, primers ITS1 and ITS4 amplified fragments of varying sizes from total genomic DNA from diseased strawberry plants. In the second round of PCR, a 1:25 dilution of the first-round PCR products was used as template with two P. cactorum- specific primer pairs (BPhycacL87FRG and BPhycacR87RRG, which amplified a 340-bp fragment and a 480-bp fragment from the rRNA gene; and BPhycacL89FRG and BPhycacR176RRG, which amplified a 431-bp fragment). Validation tests using culture-based isolations as a standard for comparison indicated that the DNA purification and PCR primers and amplification protocols were reliable and specifically amplified a portion of the rRNA gene of P. cactorum from necrotic root, crown and petiole tissues of strawberry naturally infected by the pathogen.     

Genetic Diversity Within Colletotrichum acutatum sensu Simmonds

ABSTRACT Isolates of Colletotrichum acutatum from several hosts were characterized by various molecular methods in comparison with morphological identification. Species-specific primer analysis was reliable for grouping C. acutatum isolates to their designated species. Arbitrarily primed polymerase chain reaction and A+T-rich DNA analyses identified four subgroups within C. acutatum. Subgroup I contained U.S. isolates from almond, apple, peach, and pecan, subgroup II contained isolates from anemone, olive, and strawberry, subgroup III contained isolates from almond (Israel) and strawberry (Spain), and subgroup IV contained a single isolate from anemone (the Netherlands). Likewise, sequence analysis of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) 2 region alone or the complete ITS (ITS 1-5.8S-ITS 2) region grouped the isolates into the same four subgroups. Percent similarity of the complete ITS region within each cluster ranged from 99.6 to 100.0, 99.8 to 100.0, and 98.6% among subgroups I, II, and III, respectively. DNA sequence analysis of the ITS 2 region alone or the entire ITS 1-2 region was more informative than that of the ITS 1 region, which could only group the isolates into two main clusters. The molecular methods employed for studying genetic variation in populations of C. acutatum determined that this species is diverse, indicating that isolates within populations of each subgroup are not host specific.     

Genetic and Pathogenic Analyses of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides Isolates from Strawberry and Noncultivated Hosts

ABSTRACT Colletotrichum crown rot of strawberry in Florida is caused primarily by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides. To determine potential inoculum sources, isolates of Colletotrichum spp. from strawberry and various noncultivated plants growing in the areas adjacent to strawberry fields were collected from different sites. Species-specific internal transcribed spacer primers for C. gloeosporioides and C. acutatum were used to identify isolates to species. Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers were used to determine genetic relationships among isolates recovered from noncultivated hosts and diseased strawberry plants. Selected isolates also were tested for pathogenicity on strawberry plants in the greenhouse. In all, 39 C. gloeosporioides and 3 C. acutatum isolates were recovered from diseased strawberry crowns, and 52 C. gloeosporioides and 1 C. acutatum isolate were recovered from noncultivated hosts. In crown inoculation tests, 18 of the 52 C. gloeosporioides isolates recovered from noncultivated hosts were pathogenic to strawberry. Phylogenetic analysis using RAPD marker data divided isolates of C. gloeosporioides from noncultivated hosts into two separate clusters. One cluster contained 50 of the 52 isolates and a second cluster contained 2 isolates that were homothallic in culture. Isolates from strawberry were interspersed within the cluster containing the 50 isolates that were recovered from noncultivated hosts. The results are not inconsistent with the hypothesis that C. gloeosporioides isolates obtained from strawberry and noncultivated hosts adjacent to strawberry fields are from the same population and that noncultivated hosts can serve as potential inoculum sources for Colletotrichum crown rot of strawberry.     

Molecular Characterisation of Alternaria linicola and its Detection in Linseed

Nucleotide sequences of the ribosomal DNA (rDNA) internal transcribed spacers (ITS) 1 and 2 and a 1068bp section of the beta-tubulin gene divided seven designated species of Alternaria into five taxa. Stemphylium botryosum formed a sixth closely related taxon. Isolates of A. linicola possessed an identical ITS sequence to one group of A. solani isolates, and two clusters of A. linicola isolates, revealed from beta-tubulin gene data to show minor variation, were as genetically similar to isolates of A. solani as they were to each other. We suggest, therefore, that A. linicola falls within the species A. solani. Similar results suggest that A. lini falls within the species A. alternata. RAPD analysis of the total genomic DNA from the Alternaria spp. concurred with the nucleotide sequence analyses. An oligonucleotide primer (ALP) was selected from the rDNA ITS1 region of A. linicola/A. solani. PCR with primers ALP and ITS4 (from a conserved region of the rDNA) amplified a c. 536bp fragment from isolates of A. linicola and A. solani but not from other Alternaria spp. nor from other fungi which may be associated with linseed. These primers amplified an identical fragment, confirmed by Southern hybridization, from DNA released from infected linseed seed and leaf tissues. These primers have the potential to be used also for the detection of A. solani in host tissues.     

Phylogenetic relationships and pathogenicity of Colletotrichum acutatum isolates from grape in subtropical Australia

The identity of Colletotrichum acutatum as the causal pathogen of grape ripe-rot, which causes yield loss and a bitter taint that lowers wine quality in Australian subtropical wine-grape regions, was confirmed using species-specific primers. Cultural, morphological and molecular methods (RAPD-PCR and sequencing of parts of the 5·8S-ITS regions and the β-tubulin-2 gene) were used to determine the phylogenetic relationships of Australian C. acutatum isolates from wine grapes and other horticultural crops. A combination of RAPD-PCR and β-tubulin-2 gene data showed that all wine-grape ripe-rot isolates from northern regions of New South Wales (NSW) and Queensland belong to a proposed new C. acutatum group (A9), together with isolates from Australian strawberry, mango, blueberry and olive. The 5·8S-ITS sequences for these grape pathogens were identical to published sequences for an isolate from Cyclamen (the Netherlands) and differed by 1 bp from isolates from Capsicum (Taiwan) and orange (Costa Rica). The grape ripe-rot isolates from the Shoalhaven Valley (southern NSW) were clustered within two other C. acutatum groups: A2 and A5. In vitro infection studies showed that Australian C. acutatum isolates from almond, blueberry, chilli, grape, mango, olive, strawberry and tomato were able to infect grape and could also infect blueberry and strawberry, indicating a lack of host specificity. This lack of host specificity, the genetic similarity with non-grape isolates, and the fact that many of the non-grape hosts were isolated from wine-growing regions, suggest the potential for cross-infection between grape and other horticultural crops.     

Characterization of Colletotrichum acutatum Isolates Causing Anthracnose of Almond and Peach in California

ABSTRACT The causal organism responsible for the recent outbreak of almond and peach anthracnose in California was identified and characterized as Colletotrichum acutatum. Isolates of C. acutatum from almond were found to be similar to California strawberry isolates and South Carolina peach and apple isolates of C. acutatum based on conidial morphology, temperature relationships, fungicide sensitivity, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods using DNA species-specific primers. On almond, blossoms and immature or mature fruit were affected by the disease, causing direct losses of crop. On peach, the disease was observed only on mature fruit. Pathogenicity of almond and peach isolates of C. acutatum was demonstrated on wound- and nonwound-inoculated almond or peach fruit by fulfilling Koch's postulates. Conidial morphology of isolates was variable, depending on the medium or substrate used to culture the isolates. Isolates of C. acutatum from strawberry, almond, and peach were grouped together based on a similar response to temperature, with an optimal growth rate at 25 degrees C (generally less than 10 mm/day), whereas isolates of C. gloeosporioides from citrus and papaya had an optimal growth rate at 30 degrees C (generally greater than 10 mm/day). In fungicide disk assays, isolates of C. acutatum from strawberry, peach, and apple, as well as almond and peach isolates from California, were less sensitive to benomyl at 300, 600, or 1,200 mug/ml. In contrast, C. gloeosporioides isolates from citrus and papaya were very sensitive to benomyl at all concentrations evaluated. All isolates of both species were sensitive to captan (300, 600, or 1,200 mug/ml). Oligonucleotide primers were synthesized for C. acutatum, C. fragariae, or C. gloeosporioides using published DNA sequences from the internal transcribed spacer 1 region of ribosomal DNA. Thirty-two Colletotrichum isolates from almond fruit produced DNA products with a C. acutatum primer (CaInt-2) that matched products and approximate molecular weight of known C. acutatum isolates. No PCR products were produced with primers for C. gloeosporioides or C. fragariae. Isolates from citrus and papaya produced DNA products only with primers from C. gloeosporioides or C. fragariae. Thus, worldwide, anthracnose of almonds may be caused by either C. gloeosporioides, as previously reported, or by C. acutatum, as indicated in this study.     

Characterization and pathogenicity of Colletotrichum species associated with anthracnose on chilli (Capsicum spp.) in Thailand

Fungal isolates from chilli ( Capsicum spp.) fruits in Thailand that showed typical anthracnose symptoms were identified as Colletotrichum acutatum , C . capsici and C . gloeosporioides . Phylogenetic analyses from DNA sequence data of ITS rDNA and β-tubulin ( tub 2) gene regions revealed three major clusters representing these three species. Among the morphological characters examined, colony growth rate and conidium shape in culture were directly correlated with the phylogenetic groupings. Comparison with isolates of C . gloeosporioides from mango and C . acutatum from strawberry showed that host was not important for phylogenetic grouping. Pathogenicity tests validated that all three species isolated from chilli were causal agents for chilli anthracnose when inoculated onto fruits of the susceptible Thai elite cultivar Capsicum annuum cv. Bangchang. Cross-infection potential was shown by C . acutatum isolates originating from strawberry, which produced anthracnose on Bangchang. Interestingly, only C . acutatum isolates from chilli were able to infect and produce anthracnose on PBC 932, a resistant genotype of Capsicum chinense . This result has important implications for Thai chilli breeding programmes in which PBC 932 is being hybridized with Bangchang to incorporate anthracnose resistance into chilli cultivars.     

香蕉炭疽菌rDNA ITS区的分子鉴定与检测

 香蕉炭疽病菌(Colletordchum muscat)是一种引起香蕉采后病害的最重要病原,本研究用真菌18S~28S间的内转录间隔区(internal transcribed spacer,ITS)通用引物18SF和28SR扩增香蕉炭疽菌和其它外群真菌的基因组DNA,扩增出约510bp的片段;通过克隆测序香蕉炭疽菌的ITS全序列并与GenBank中炭疽菌属其它种的ITS序列比对,设计出香蕉炭疽菌的特异性引物ColM1和ColM2。用此特异引物可以从香蕉炭疽菌株中扩增出382bp的特异性片段,而其余20个参试菌株和香蕉组织的PCR反应结果为阴性,灵敏度实验证明可以检测到目标DNA的浓度为0.1Pg。该方法可用于快速、准确和灵敏地检测香蕉炭疽菌,为快速监测组织中有无香蕉炭疽病菌潜伏侵染与及早采取防治措施提供积极的指导意义。     

双重PCR检测马铃薯晚疫病菌和青枯病菌方法的建立及应用

 利用真菌通用引物ITS1和ITS4扩增马铃薯晚疫病菌转录间隔区并进行序列测定,通过序列比较,设计了1对马铃薯晚疫病菌的特异引物INF1/INF2,并对15种不同真菌、细菌和7种疫霉属和腐霉属卵菌基因组DNA进行PCR扩增,结果只有不同来源的马铃薯晚疫病菌株可获得324 bp的特异带。将引物INF1/INF2与卵菌通用引物进行巢式PCR扩增后,其检测灵敏度在DNA水平上可达30 fg。运用设计的引物与马铃薯青枯病菌特异引物结合建立了双重PCR体系,能从马铃薯晚疫病菌和马铃薯青枯病菌总基因组DNA以及人工接种和自然发病的马铃薯植株中分别或同时扩增到324 bp和281 bp的特异片段。实现了同时对马铃薯晚疫病菌和马铃薯青枯病菌的快速可靠检测。     

香蕉黑腐病菌(Botryodiplodia theobromae)的PCR检测

 根据香蕉黑腐病菌可可球二孢菌(Botryodiplodia theobromae)与其它香蕉病原真菌核糖体基因转录间隔区(rDNA-ITS)ITS1和ITS2间序列差异,设计了特异引物Bth-S(5'-TCTCCCACCCTTTGTGAAC-3')和Bth-A(5'-AAAAGT-TCAGAAGGTTCGTC-3'),利用此引物对包括可可球二孢菌在内的21个菌株基因组DNA进行PCR扩增,结果只有4个可可球二孢菌菌株扩增到422bp特异带,其它17个菌株无扩增产物。灵敏度测试结果表明此特异引物能对1pg的可可球二孢菌基因组DNA进行扩增。对自然感染黑腐病的香蕉果实组织和接种可可球二孢菌或多种香蕉病原真菌混合接种的果实组织进行检测,Bth-S和Bth-A引物对不仅能够在自然感染黑腐病果实组织中特异检测到可可球二孢菌,而且能在未显症和发病的接菌香蕉果实组织中特异检测得到可可球二孢菌。这为香蕉可可球二孢菌潜伏侵染检测提供了技术支持。     

西瓜蔓枯病分子诊断技术研究

 本文测定西瓜上的西瓜蔓枯病菌(Didymella bryoniae)、西瓜炭疽病菌(Colletotrichum orbiculare)及西瓜枯萎病菌(Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. niveum)的rDNA的ITS序列,比对近缘种及西瓜上不同病菌的ITS序列同源性,设计出特异性上游引物XM-2和下游引物XM-R2。经过对XM-2/XM-R2引物的PCR扩增条件的优化,可以扩增出一条344bp的西瓜蔓枯病菌特异性DNA条带。上述方法可以检测到pg以上的蔓枯病菌基因组DNA,并且可以准确扩增出西瓜蔓枯病自然病样中特异性的DNA片段。本文建立了一项西瓜蔓枯病分子检测技术,该方法准确、快速、可靠,可用于西瓜蔓枯病田间的快速诊断。     

Identification of colletotrichum species responsible for anthracnose and root necrosis of strawberry in Israel

ABSTRACT Strawberry anthracnose was observed for the first time in Israel in 1995. The disease reached epidemic proportions in Israeli nurseries and production fields in 1995 and 1996. Using morphological and cultural characteristics, the species responsible for anthracnose was identified as Colletotrichum acutatum. A reliable semi-selective medium, amended with iprodione and lactic acid, was used to isolate the fungus from infected tissues. In addition, C. acutatum was subsequently isolated from necrotic roots of stunted, chlorotic plants that exhibited no symptoms of anthracnose. High levels of the pathogen from naturally infested field soil and perlite growth substrate were quantified from the rhizosphere of diseased plants on the iprodione-amended medium. Both foliar- and rootinfecting isolates were equally pathogenic to strawberry, causing 95 to 100% plant mortality, when inoculated on roots and foliage. In complementation (heterokaryon) tests using nitrate nonutilizing mutants, 113 out of 115 isolates from different plant parts and locations belonged to a single vegetative compatibility group. Arbitrarily primed polymerase chain reaction of genomic DNA using four repetitive-motif primers produced nearly uniform amplified DNA banding patterns for 141 of the Israeli strawberry isolates from different sites, plots, plant tissues, and cultivars. When compared to reference isolates from the US, these band patterns suggested that a single introduction of C. acutatum was responsible for strawberry anthracnose on foliage and necrosis of roots in Israel.     

Exploring host-pathogen combinations for compatible and incompatible reactions in grapevine downy mildew

Rhizoctonia leguminicola, the traditional name for the causal agent of blackpatch of red clover (Trifolium pratense) and other legumes, produces alkaloids, one of which causes livestock to salivate excessively. Fungal presence is generally confirmed by microscopy, disappearance of symptoms in livestock after removal of suspect forage, and chromatography of the alkaloid slaframine, in legume tissue. Use of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to amplify a pathogen-specific DNA fragment would complement the other methods of pathogen identification. Primers were designed to the R. leguminicola ITS region, sequence provided by another laboratory. Two separate primer pairs each amplified a different fragment–one ~250 bp long (expected length 249 bp), and the other 300 to 400 bp long (expected length 368 bp)–in DNA extracted from cultures of R. leguminicola. Under the experimental conditions, the primers to the larger fragment amplified a stronger band, and a minimum of 0.1 ng DNA per reaction was needed to produce a detectable band. With the primers to the 368-bp fragment, a band 300 to 400 bp long was also amplified in DNA extracted from red clover (cultivar Kenland) inoculated with R. leguminicola and harvested 70 h post inoculation. No amplification with this primer set occurred in DNA extracted from mock-inoculated red clover plants, supporting the likelihood that the primers amplified R. leguminicola DNA extracted from inoculated red clover. This primer set did not amplify DNA extracted from a red clover isolate of the legume pathogen Stemphylium sarcinaeforme, or DNA extracted from two isolates of the legume pathogen Colletotrichum trifolii, indicating specificity for R. leguminicola DNA. Lack of amplification of alfalfa DNA indicated that the R. leguminicola primers will be useful for testing for the presence of blackpatch in alfalfa.