Moving from qPCR to Chip Digital PCR Assays for Tracking of some Fusarium Species Causing Fusarium Head Blight in Cereals

Fusarium Head Blight (FHB) is one of the major diseases affecting small-grain cereals, worldwide spread and responsible for severe yield and quality losses annually. Diagnostic tools, able to track Fusarium species even in the early stages of infection, can contribute to mycotoxins’ risk control. Am...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Microorganisms (Basel) 2020-08, Vol.8 (9), p.1307
Main Authors: Morcia, Caterina, Tumino, Giorgio, Gasparo, Giulia, Ceresoli, Caterina, Fattorini, Chiara, Ghizzoni, Roberta, Carnevali, Paola, Terzi, Valeria
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Assaying
Blight
Cereals
chip digital PCR
Communication
Crop diseases
Deoxyribonucleic acid
Diagnostic software
Diagnostic systems
DNA
DNA probes
Fungi
Fusarium
Fusarium graminearum
Fusarium head blight
Genetic testing
Grain
Infections
Metabolites
molecular diagnostics
Mycotoxins
Nucleic acids
Polymerase chain reaction
qPCR
Risk management
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Summary:Fusarium Head Blight (FHB) is one of the major diseases affecting small-grain cereals, worldwide spread and responsible for severe yield and quality losses annually. Diagnostic tools, able to track Fusarium species even in the early stages of infection, can contribute to mycotoxins’ risk control. Among DNA-based technologies for Fusarium detection, qPCR (single and multiplex assays) is currently the most applied method. However, pathogen diagnostics is now enforced by digital PCR (dPCR), a breakthrough technology that provides ultrasensitive and absolute nucleic acid quantification. In our work, a panel of chip digital PCR assays was developed to quantify Fusarium graminearum, F.culmorum, F. sporotrichioides, F. poae and F. avenaceum. The primers/probes combinations were evaluated on pure fungal samples with cdPCR technique, in comparison with the qPCR approach. Moreover, the cdPCR assays were applied to quantify Fusarium in durum wheat and oat samples, naturally contaminated or spiked with fungal DNA. For a better evaluation of infection level in plants, duplex assays were developed, able to co-amplify both plant and fungal DNA. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study directed to the application of digital PCR to Fusarium diagnosis in plants.
ISSN:2076-2607
2076-2607
DOI:10.3390/microorganisms8091307