scholarly journals Use of Quantitative Molecular Diagnostic Assays to Investigate Fusarium Dry Rot in Potato Stocks and Soil

2005 ◽  
Vol 95 (12) ◽  
pp. 1462-1471 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. W. Cullen ◽  
I. K. Toth ◽  
Y. Pitkin ◽  
N. Boonham ◽  
K. Walsh ◽  
...  

Specific and sensitive quantitative diagnostics, based on real-time (TaqMan) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and PCR enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, were developed to detect dry-rot-causing Fusarium spp. (F. avenaceum, F. coeruleum, F. culmorum, and F. sulphureum). Each assay detected Fusarium spp. on potato seed stocks with equal efficiency. Four potato stocks, sampled over two seed generations from Scottish stores, were contaminated with F. avenaceum, F. sulphureum, F. culmorum, F. coeruleum or a combination of species, and there was a general trend towards increased Fusarium spp. contamination in the second generation of seed sampled. F. sulphureum and F. coeruleum caused significantly (P < 0.05) more disease in storage than the other species when disease-free tubers of potato cvs. Spunta and Morene were inoculated at a range of inoculum concentrations (0, 104, 105, and 106 conidia/ml). Increased DNA levels were correlated with increased disease severity between 8 and 12 weeks of storage. The threshold inoculum levels resulting in significant disease development on both cultivars were estimated to be 104 conidia/ml for F. sulphureum and 105 conidia/ml for F. coeruleum. To study the effect of soil infestation and harvest date on disease incidence, seed tubers of cvs. Morene and Spunta were planted in a field plot artificially infested with the four Fusarium spp. F. culmorum and F. sulphureum were detected in soil taken from these plots at harvest, and F. sulphureum DNA levels increased significantly (P < 0.05) at the final harvest. All four Fusarium spp. were detected in progeny tubers. There was a trend toward higher levels of F. culmorum detected in progeny tubers at the earliest harvest date, and higher levels of F. sulphureum at the final harvest. The use of diagnostic assays to detect fungal storage rot pathogens and implications for disease control strategies are discussed.

Sexual Health ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 121 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suzanne M. Garland ◽  
Sepehr N. Tabrizi

Paramount in control of transmission of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) is their prompt recognition and appropriate treatment. In countries where definitive diagnoses are difficult, a ‘syndromic approach’ to management of STIs is recommended and practiced, yet many STIs have common symptoms or are asymptomatic and therefore go undetected and untreated. This is of particular concern with the recognition that HIV transmission is increased with co-existent STIs: the attributable risk for each STI varying with the prevalence within a particular population. Hence, HIV public health prevention approaches must include STI preventative strategies to be effective. Even then, microbiological screening is incorporated into STI control strategies; lack of access to appropriate services (especially in rural and remote areas), reluctance of at-risk populations to attend for treatment, fear of invasive genital examinations, and lower sensitivities of conventional diagnostic assays reduces the effectiveness of such programmes. Therefore, accurate, cost-effective, reliable diagnostic assays (preferably those which can be used in the field) are needed to impact on the incidence of the various STIs, as well as HIV. With the advent of molecular technologies, including target and signal amplification methods, diagnoses of STIs have been revolutionised and allow the use of non or minimally invasive sampling techniques, some of which are self-collected by the patient, e.g. first-void urine, cervico-vaginal lavage, low vaginal swabs, and tampons. Most studies evaluating such self-sampling with molecular diagnostic techniques have demonstrated an equivalent or superior detection of STIs as compared to conventional sampling and detection methods. These sampling methods can also be used to determine prevalence of STIs in various populations, but particularly those with difficult access to medical care. In this article, the utility of self-sampling collection devices for detection of various STIs, particularly in women, is reviewed as one step towards formulating appropriate strategies in control of STIs, and which are especially suited for remote areas.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 850
Author(s):  
José Esteban Muñoz-Medina ◽  
Concepción Grajales-Muñiz ◽  
Angel Gustavo Salas-Lais ◽  
Larissa Fernandes-Matano ◽  
Constantino López-Macías ◽  
...  

Until recently, the incidence of COVID-19 was primarily estimated using molecular diagnostic methods. However, the number of cases is vastly underreported using these methods. Seroprevalence studies estimate cumulative infection incidences and allow monitoring of transmission dynamics, and the presence of neutralizing antibodies in the population. In February 2020, the Mexican Social Security Institute began conducting anonymous unrelated sampling of residual sera from specimens across the country, excluding patients with fever within the previous two weeks and/or patients with an acute respiratory infection. Sampling was carried out weekly and began 17 days before Mexico’s first officially confirmed case. The 24,273 sera obtained were analyzed by chemiluminescent-linked immunosorbent assay (CLIA) IgG S1/S2 and, later, positive cases using this technique were also analyzed to determine the rate of neutralization using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). We identified 40 CLIA IgG positive cases before the first official report of SARS-CoV-2 infection in Mexico. The national seroprevalence was 3.5% in February and 33.5% in December. Neutralizing activity among IgG positives patients during overall study period was 86.1%. The extent of the SARS-CoV-2 infection in Mexico is 21 times higher than that reported by molecular techniques. Although the general population is still far from achieving herd immunity, epidemiological indicators should be re-estimated based on serological studies of this type.


Author(s):  
Willard Mbewe ◽  
Andrew Mtonga ◽  
Margret Chiipanthenga ◽  
Kennedy Masamba ◽  
Gloria Chitedze ◽  
...  

AbstractA survey was carried out in 19 districts to investigate the prevalence and distribution of sweetpotato virus disease (SPVD) and its implication on the sustainability of clean seed system in Malawi. A total of 166 leaf samples were collected and tested for the presence of 8 viruses using nitrocellulose membrane enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (NCM-ELISA). SPVD foliar symptoms were observed in 68.42% of the surveyed districts. There were significant variations in disease incidence and severity (p < 0.001) among districts, with the highest incidence in Mulanje (28.34%). Average SPVD severity score was 3.05. NCM-ELISA detected sweet potato feathery mottle virus (SPFMV, 30.54%), sweet potato mild mottle virus (SPMMV, 31.14%), sweet potato mild speckling virus (SPMSV, 16.17%), sweet potato C-6 virus (SPC6V, 13.77%), sweet potato chlorotic stunt virus (SPCSV, 22.16%), sweet potato collusive virus (SPCV, 30.54%), sweet potato virus G (SPVG, 11.38%), cucumber mosaic virus (CMV, 7.78%) either in single or mixed infections. Data from this study indicate a significant SPVD occurrence in the country, and the consequence implications towards national sweetpotato seed system.


2007 ◽  
Vol 88 (2) ◽  
pp. 621-630 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Maan ◽  
N. S. Maan ◽  
A. R. Samuel ◽  
S. Rao ◽  
H. Attoui ◽  
...  

The outer capsid protein VP2 of Bluetongue virus (BTV) is a target for the protective immune response generated by the mammalian host. VP2 contains the majority of epitopes that are recognized by neutralizing antibodies and is therefore also the primary determinant of BTV serotype. Full-length cDNA copies of genome segment 2 (Seg-2, which encodes VP2) from the reference strains of each of the 24 BTV serotypes were synthesized, cloned and sequenced. This represents the first complete set of full-length BTV VP2 genes (from the 24 serotypes) that has been analysed. Each Seg-2 has a single open reading frame, with short inverted repeats adjacent to conserved terminal hexanucleotide sequences. These data demonstrated overall inter-serotype variations in Seg-2 of 29 % (BTV-8 and BTV-18) to 59 % (BTV-16 and BTV-22), while the deduced amino acid sequence of VP2 varied from 22.4 % (BTV-4 and BTV-20) to 73 % (BTV-6 and BTV-22). Ten distinct Seg-2 lineages (nucleotypes) were detected, with greatest sequence similarities between those serotypes that had previously been reported as serologically ‘related’. Fewer similarities were observed between different serotypes in regions of VP2 that have been reported as antigenically important, suggesting that they may play a role in the neutralizing antibody response. The data presented form an initial basis for BTV serotype identification by sequence analyses and comparison of Seg-2, and for development of molecular diagnostic assays for individual BTV serotypes (by RT-PCR).


Author(s):  
K. Saratbabu ◽  
K. Vemana ◽  
A.K. Patibanda ◽  
B. Sreekanth ◽  
V. Srinivasa Rao

Background: Peanut stem necrosis disease (PSND) caused by Tobacco streak virus (TSV) is a major constraint for groundnut production in Andhra Pradesh (A.P.). However, studies on prevalence and spread of the disease confined to only few districts of A.P. with this background current study focused on incidence and spread of the disease in entire state of A.P. Further an isolate of TSV occurring in A.P. characterized on the basis of genetic features by comparing with other TSV isolates originated from different hosts and locations from world.Methods: Roving survey was conducted during kharif 2017-18 in groundnut growing districts of Andhra Pradesh (A.P.) for peanut stem necrosis disease incidence. Groundnut plants showing PSND symptoms were collected and tested with direct antigen coating enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (DAC-ELISA). Groundnut samples found positive by ELISA once again tested by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The representative TSV-GN-INDVP groundnut isolate from Prakasham district was maintained on cowpea seedlings by standard sap inoculation method in glasshouse for further molecular characterization. The Phylogenetic tree for coat protein (CP) gene was constructed using aligned sequences with 1000 bootstrap replicates following neighbor-joining phylogeny.Result: Thirty-eight (52.7%) of seventy-two groundnut samples collected from different locations in A.P were given positive reaction to TSV by DAC-ELISA. For the first time, PSND incidence observed in coastal districts (Krishna, Guntur, Sri Pottisriramulu Nellore, Prakasham) of A.P. Maximum PSND incidence recorded from Bathalapalli (22.2%) and the minimum incidence in Mulakalacheruvu (4.1%). The coat protein (CP) gene of TSV-GN-INDVP groundnut isolate was amplified by RT-PCR and it shared maximum per cent nucleotide identity (97.51-98.62%) with TSV isolates from groundnut and other different crops reported in India. All Indian isolates cluster together irrespective of crop and location based on the phylogenetic analysis.


2014 ◽  
Vol 19 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
D Luijt ◽  
C Di Lorenzo ◽  
A M van Loon ◽  
M Unemo

We describe the results of the Quality Control for Molecular Diagnostics 2013 Neisseria gonorrhoeae external quality assessment programme that included an N. gonorrhoeae strain harbouring an N. meningitidis porA gene which causes false-negative results in molecular diagnostic assays targeting the gonococcal porA pseudogene. Enhanced awareness of the international transmission of such gonococcal strains is needed to avoid false-negative results in both in-house and commercial molecular diagnostic assays used in laboratories worldwide, but particularly in Europe.


2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 339-344
Author(s):  
Sabah R. Mohammed ◽  
Ivan D. Eskov ◽  
Elsayed M. Zeitar

Background: Fusarium dry rot disease caused by Fusarium sambucinum Fuckel (F. sambucinum) can infect the potato tubers in the field and during storage. Yield losses by F. sambucinum reach 60%. Traditional methods to control Fusarium dry rot are fungicides application, which led to developing many isolates resistant to these fungicides. Objective: The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of calcium chloride (CaCl2) and chitosan, alone or in combination, on plant development, tuber yield, and Fusarium dry rot disease incidence under field conditions. Methods: Soil inoculated with F. sambucinum before planting. We treated the seed tubers with CaCl2 (0.5 or 1%), chitosan 0.5%, or both. The foliage was sprayed twice with CaCl2 (0.5 or 1%), 0.1% chitosan, or both. During the vegetation period, growth parameters, such as germination (%), plant height (cm), and branches number per plant, were measured. At harvest, we calculated the total and the marketable number of tubers and tuber yield. In addition, during storage, we assessed the incidence of Fusarium dry rot disease on tubers. Results: Results revealed that combined pre-planting application with 1% CaCl2 and 0.5% chitosan with 2 hours intervals, then spraying foliar with 1% CaCl2 and 0.1% chitosan twice with ten days intervals starting at 40 days after planting resulted in: a) increasing the germination, enhancing the growth parameters such as plant height and branches number per plant; b) enhancing the marketable tuber yield by 75.2 and 97.6% in Sante and Kolobok varieties, respectively; c) reducing Fusarium dry rot disease incidence by 61.9-72.7%. Conclusion: The work highlighted that the combined pre-planting and foliar application of CaCl2 and chitosan might be recommended for potato producers to reduce the incidence of Fusarium dry rot disease and augment yields.


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