PCR identification of Monilinia laxa, M. fructigena and M. fructicola
A PCR method has been developed in France to detect and identify Monilinia laxa, M. fructigena and M. fructicola (EPPO A1 quarantine pest), in cultures and in diseased fruits. This method using 3 primer pairs is rapid, as in a single run it can specifically detect and identify the three Monilinia species. The specificity of the 3 primer pairs was tested with a large collection of Monilinia species (17 isolates of M. laxa, 16 M. fructigena and 6 M. fructicola), and also with other fungi commonly associated with fruit rots. No cross reactions were observed. The authors concluded that this rapid and reliable PCR method could be of particular interest in plant quarantine.
Sources
Ioos, R.; Frey, P. (2000) Genomic variation within Monilinia laxa, M. fructigena and M. fructicola, and application to species identification by PCR.
European Journal of Plant Pathology, 106(4), 373-378.