Specific identification of Xylella fastidiosa by PCR
Studies on the potential use of PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) for the identification of Xylella fastidiosa (EPPO A1 quarantine pest) have been carried out in Italy. By using a pair of specific primers, it was possible to amplify a part of the 16S rRNA gene of X. fastidiosa. During this experiment five strains of X. fastidiosa (grapevine isolates and non-grapevine isolates) and Xylophilus ampelinus, Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria, Pseudomonas solanacearum, Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae, Escherichia coli were tested ; only X. fastidiosa strains gave positive results. The authors concluded that the PCR assay on pure bacterial cultures allowed a rapid, sensitive and specific identification of X. fastidiosa and that these results encourage application of PCR in setting up a reliable diagnostic assay for the detection of X. fastidiosa in infected tissues.
Sources
Firrao, G.; Bazzi, C. (1994) Specific identification of Xylella fastidiosa using the polymerase chain reaction.
Phytopathologia Mediterranea, 33(1), 90