A nested PCR assay targeting the DNA topoisomerase I gene to detect the pine wood nematode, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bursaphelenchus xylophilus</Emphasis>

The pine wood nematode (PWN), Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, is a disastrous pathogen of the pine forests in East Asia and Europe. Plant quarantine is one of the most important ways to prevent its infection in current situation. A nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay targeting the topoisomerse I gene has been developed to detect PWN in this study. To assess the specificity of the assay, 44 morphologically characterized nematode isolates including B. xylophilus, B. mucronatus, B. hofmanni, Seinura wuae, S. lii and Aphelenchoides macronucleatus were tested. Positive reactions characterized by amplification product of 509 bp were shown from all isolates of PWN. The nested PCR assay can detect 50 femtogram (fg) of template DNA or one individual nematode, as small as an egg. The validity was evaluated by analyzing the nematode samples extracted from the nematode-infested wood in the field. These results show that the assay is a specific, sensitive method for detection of PWN with the potential in relation to the pest risk assessment and quarantine regulations.     

松材线虫TaqMan探针实时荧光PCR诊断

 松树萎蔫病主要在日本、中国、韩国、葡萄牙以及北美地区报道发生,给世界林业造成严重危害。     

利用RNAi分析松材线虫ncr基因功能

由松材线虫(Bursaphelenchus xylophilus)侵染引起的松材线虫病是松属植物的重要病害之一,其繁殖和传播速度快,防治困难。RNAi技术是目前研究植物寄生线虫基因功能的重要手段。本文利用农杆菌介导灰葡萄孢菌表达松材线虫ncr基因的dsRNA(PDH-RH-NCR),并连续多代喂饲松材线虫使ncr基因表达稳定下调后分析其表型。结果表明,在转有PDH-RH-NCR的灰葡萄孢菌上连续培养10代的松材线虫,ncr基因表达量显著下调13倍。ncr基因表达下调后,线虫发育缓慢,繁殖力也显著降低;处理4 d后发育成成虫的百分率为61.75%,显著低于PDH-RH-s GFP(89.75%)和空载体(88.75%)处理;而9 d的繁殖量则较PDH-RH-s GFP和空载体处理分别少2 314和2 347条。松材线虫ncr基因表达下调后,4龄幼虫平均寿命(20.9 d)和体内脂肪量(1.340 nmol)则显著高于PDH-RH-s GFP(15.5 d,0.336 nmol)和空载体(15.2 d,0.323 nmol)处理。通过喂饲法RNAi发现松材线虫ncr基因可能与松材线虫的发育速度、繁殖量、寿命、脂肪积累等表型相关。     

葡萄根瘤蚜TaqMan-MGB实时荧光定量检测方法的研究

为建立葡萄根瘤蚜实时荧光定量PCR的检测方法,参考Karen Herbert等设计的特异性引物与TaqMan-MGB荧光探针,构建以标准阳性质粒作为标准品制作标准曲线,并经优化反应条件,建立葡萄根瘤蚜的实时荧光PCR绝对定量检测方法,进行敏感性和重复性试验,并对受葡萄根瘤蚜为害的葡萄根际土壤进行初步定性检测.结果表明:该方法的灵敏度可达1.625拷贝/μL,3次重复检测的变异系数均小于5％.提取0.25g含有10头葡萄根瘤蚜若虫土壤的DNA,并将其梯度稀释,用建立的荧光定量PCR进行检测,将DNA稀释103倍后,仍能检测出阳性结果.对受害葡萄根际土壤检测结果为阳性.葡萄根瘤蚜TaqMan-MGB探针实时荧光PCR检测技术具有特异性强,敏感性高,易操作等优点,有很好的应用前景和研究价值.     

Functional analysis of the venom allergen-like protein gene from pine wood nematode Bursaphelenchus xylophilus using a baculovirus expression system

The pine wood nematode, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, infects pine trees, leading to fatal pine wilt disease. Here, recombinant venom allergen-like protein (VAP) was obtained by expressing Bx-vap-1 in insect cells. Three-year-old Pinus massoniana were inoculated with recombinant VAP, simulating B. xylophilus esophageal gland secretions. Recombinant VAP up-regulated α-pinene synthase gene expression, the trees showed disease symptoms 15 d after inoculation and the xylem pith revealed brown tissue discoloration, indicating that recombinant VAP could damage P. massoniana cells. Recombinant VAP did not, however, lead to cavitation, indicating that the VAP secreted from B. xylophilus acts as a defense response elicitor.     

松材线虫自然侵染后对不同松树组织结构的影响

 利用滑走切片技术从显微水平研究松材线虫（Bursaphelenchus xylophilus）在自然状态下入侵,对马尾松（Pinus massoniana）和黑松（Pinus thunbergii）显微结构的影响。结果表明,马尾松和黑松的组织结构在感病初期即表现出病变特征,并随感病时间推移病变加剧。马尾松在感病初期皮层薄壁细胞开始木质化,伴有细胞破裂并融合成空腔;至感病中期周皮的栓内层细胞、皮层薄壁细胞以及韧皮部薄壁细胞均发生木质化,细胞内含物增多,甚至形成层细胞也发生一定程度的木质化现象,树脂道因周围细胞破裂而变形;至感病晚期,木材以外所有部分完全被木质化、大量细胞破裂。黑松发病症状与马尾松大致相同但发病时间稍晚,发病程度也较轻,这可能是因为两者对松材线虫病的抗性强弱有差异。同一时期的组织病理学特征在空间上也存有差异,这与松材线虫入侵的位置及其在树体内的分布有关。     

Diagnostics of the peach root-knot nematode,Meloidogyne floridensis using multiplex real-time PCR

European Journal of Plant Pathology - The peach root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne floridensis is an emerging pest of peach and other crops that is currently known to occur only in California,...     

Detection and quantification of Pratylenchus thornei in DNA extracted from soil using real-time PCR

The root-lesion nematode Pratylenchus thornei is one of the most important pests restricting productivity of wheat in the Pacific Northwest (PNW). It is laborious and difficult to use microscopy to count and identify the nematodes in soils. A SYBR Green I-based real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay was developed to detect and quantify this species from DNA extracts of soil. A primer set, designed from the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS1) of rDNA, was highly specific to P. thornei and did not amplify DNA from 27 isolates of other Pratylenchus spp., other nematodes, and six fungal species present in PNW wheat fields. A standard curve relating threshold cycle and log values of nematode number was generated from artificially infested soils. The standard curve was supported by a high correlation between the numbers of P. thornei added to soil and the numbers quantified using real-time PCR. Examination of 15 PNW dryland field soils and 20 greenhouse samples revealed significant positive correlations between the numbers determined by real-time PCR and by the Whitehead tray and microscopic method. Real-time PCR is a rapid, sensitive alternative to time-consuming nematode extractions, microscopic identification, and counting of P. thornei from field and greenhouse soils.     

分子生物学技术在松材线虫研究中的应用

根据松材线虫(Bursaphlenchus xylophilus)分子生物学的研究基础,以及基于不同的研究目的,对松材线虫不同DNA区域,包括基因组DNA、线粒体DNA、核糖体DNA和卫星DNA研究做了综述,并分析、比较一些常用的分子生物学技术在松材线虫研究中的适用性,以及在生物防治研究中的进展。     

Quantification of viable cells of Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis using a DNA binding dye and a real-time PCR assay

Viable cells of Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis (CMM), the causal agent of bacterial canker of tomato, were discriminated from the dead cells by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), after the bacterial solution was treated with the DNA binding dye ethidium monoazide (EMA). The primers and TaqMan probe, based on the 16S-23S rDNA spacer sequences, were highly specific for CMM at the subspecies level. The detection limit of the direct real-time PCR was 10³ colony forming units per mL (cfu mL⁻¹) in samples and with an apparent sensitivity of 2 cfu of target cells in PCR reaction solution. Application of this method allows for selective quantification of viable cells of CMM and facilitates monitoring the pathogen in tomato seeds.     

光照对松材线虫病潜育期的影响

应用相关回归方法，分析了黑松接种松材线虫后，病害的潜育期与环境中的日平均温度、日平均日照时数的关系。结果显示，病害潜育期与日平均温度呈显著负相关，与日平均日照时数呈显著负相关。     

线虫分离器的改进和松材线虫分离特点

对发现松材线虫和另一种伞滑刃线虫的两个木样 ,采用薄木片 (3 0 ) g进行线虫分离 ,线虫逸出有两个高峰期 ,分别是木样浸泡后第 8～ 1 1h和第 1 4～ 1 5h。所设计的分离器结合浅盘法和贝尔曼漏斗法分离线虫的优点 ,可用于线虫的定性分析和定量分析。木包装自身含水量低 ,线虫逸出高峰出现相对较早。     

Rapid in planta detection of Chalara fraxinea by a real-time PCR assay using a dual-labelled probe

Chalara fraxinea is a fungus currently threatening ash trees (Fraxinus excelsior) in several European countries. This emerging pathogen was assigned to the EPPO’s alert list and therefore accurate detection and identification tools are needed. Because of its slow growth rate on agar media and the frequent presence of fast-growing saprotrophic fungi within the host tissue, classical isolation techniques are time-consuming and sometimes inefficient. In this study, we used species-specific polymorphisms observed within the internal transcribed spacer region to design a primer pair and a dual-labelled probe to be used in a real-time PCR assay for the detection of C. fraxinea. The test proved to be specific, based on in silico and in vitro assessments, and could detect as little as 20 fg of C. fraxinea DNA. A protocol was developed in order to detect the pathogen directly in plant tissue and proved to be more efficient and rapid than isolation on agar plates. This new tool should be useful both for monitoring and to conduct epidemiology research on this emerging pathogen.     

Detection and quantification of Rhizoctonia cerealis in soil using real-time PCR

Rhizoctonia cerealis E.P. van der Hoeven (anamorph of Ceratobasidium cereale D.I. Murray and Burpee), which causes sharp eyespot in wheat, is a major soilborne fungal pathogen that severely impairs yield and quality of winter wheat in China. Because the pathogen is difficult to identify and quantify in soil using conventional methods, a rapid and reliable method is needed to detect and quantify the fungus. In this study, we developed an SYBR Green-based quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction assay for specific, sensitive detection and quantification of R. cerealis in soil samples. Using a specific primer pair based on the β-tubulin gene of the fungal DNA sequence, we could specifically detect R. cerealis at quantities as low as 100?fg of purified pathogen DNA. Using the real-time PCR assays, we were able to quantify R. cerealis in artificially and naturally infested soil samples. This new technique to quantify R. cerealis is rapid and accurate and will be a useful tool for future studies of pathogenic R. cerealis.     

禾谷镰孢菌产玉米赤霉烯酮毒素zearalenone的PCR检测

玉米赤霉烯酮（zearalenone,ZEN）是由镰孢菌产生的真菌毒素,该毒素具有雌性激素生物活性。PKS4基因是禾谷镰孢菌中玉米赤霉烯酮生物合成途径中的必需基因。根据PKS4基因序列,设计一对PKS4基因特异性引物,通过检测PKS4基因的存在间接检测ZEN毒素的产生。特异引物在禾谷镰孢菌菌株以及被禾谷镰孢菌侵染的小麦籽粒中都能稳定地扩增出大小为1 076 bp的特异片段,扩增片段与PKS4基因（DQ019316）相同区段序列相似性达99.63%。同时,酶联免疫吸附法（ELISA）验证了PCR的检测结果,证明了该技术的可靠性。     

Susceptibility evaluation of Picea abies and Cupressus lusitanica to the pine wood nematode (Bursaphelenchus xylophilus)

Pine wilt disease (PWD), recently introduced into Europe, is caused by the pine wood nematode (PWN) Bursaphelenchus xylophilus and is a devastating illness that affects mainly pine trees. It is known that the PWN is capable of infecting other conifers; however, there is currently no information on which other plant species may be susceptible to PWD. In this study, the potential susceptibility of two common species of European forests, Picea abies and Cupressus lusitanica, to PWN was assessed through the monitoring of visual external symptoms, dimension and localization of the nematode population in stems, quantification of total chlorophyll, total soluble phenolics and lignin, at 7, 14, 21 and 28 days after inoculation. The degree of susceptibility was established through the comparison of symptoms with Pinus pinaster, a well‐known PWN host. Furthermore, the stem ultrastructure of P. abies, C. lusitanica and Pn. pinaster was analysed by scanning electron microscopy. The results suggest that P. abies and C. lusitanica are resistant to PWN, and that lignin biosynthesis in these species is affected at an early stage of the infestation. Nevertheless, P. abies seems to be a compatible host that could act as a repository for PWN.     

利用实时荧光定量PCR 技术检测油菜菌核病菌

 采用高通量实时荧光定量PCR 技术建立检测和监测油菜菌核病菌群体数量的方法。利用油菜菌核病菌(Sclerotiniasclerotiorum)的茁-微管蛋白基因内含子序列的特异性,设计引物对SclSF (5'-CTCAAATCTCCGAAAGTT -3') / SclAF (5'-TGCAGACGGGTAATATG -3'),建立和优化了SYBR Green 玉实时荧光定量PCR 检测体系。结果表明,该引物对能够从8种所测试的十字花科植物常见病原真菌中特异性扩增出油菜菌核病菌;所建立的实时定量PCR 技术可应用于油菜病叶和病茎中菌核病菌的早期检测及菌核病的预测预报。     

实时荧光PCR检测瓜炭疽病菌

采用实时荧光PCR技术建立了瓜炭疽病菌(Colletotrichum orbiculare)的检测方法。根据瓜炭疽病菌甘油醛-3-磷酸脱氢酶(GAPDH)基因和谷氨酰胺合成酶(GS)基因序列,设计了该病菌特异性引物和TaqMan探针,并对所设计的引物和探针的反应条件进行了优化。采用本试验建立的实时荧光PCR方法对瓜上的其他菌株及近似菌株进行检测,可将瓜炭疽病菌与其他病原菌区分开。灵敏度试验表明,25μL体系中只要有39.6pg的核酸量就可以被检测到,检测灵敏度达到1.584pg/μL,比普通PCR检测灵敏度高100倍。同时对田间采集的病株和未知样品进行的检测证明了引物和TaqMan探针的特异性。