Development of a Duplex PCR-NALFIA Assay for the Simultaneous Detection of <i>Macrophomina phaseolina</i> and <i>Verticillium dahliae</i> Causal Agents of Crown and Root Rot of Strawberry

Strawberry crown and root rot diseases are caused by soil-borne pathogens including <i>Macrophomina phaseolina</i> (<i>Mp</i>) and <i>Verticillium dahliae</i> (<i>Vd</i>). The symptoms caused by these pathogens are very similar and difficult to disting...

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Main Authors: Viola Papini, Angelo Meloni, Susanna Pecchia
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-01-01
Series:Agriculture
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/15/2/160
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author Viola Papini
Angelo Meloni
Susanna Pecchia
author_facet Viola Papini
Angelo Meloni
Susanna Pecchia
author_sort Viola Papini
collection DOAJ
description Strawberry crown and root rot diseases are caused by soil-borne pathogens including <i>Macrophomina phaseolina</i> (<i>Mp</i>) and <i>Verticillium dahliae</i> (<i>Vd</i>). The symptoms caused by these pathogens are very similar and difficult to distinguish, and traditional culture-based detection methods are laborious, time-consuming, and slow in providing results. In this work, we developed a duplex PCR-NALFIA assay using two pairs of species-specific primers labeled at the 5′ end with different molecules for the simultaneous identification of <i>Mp</i> and <i>Vd</i>. For the NALFIA assay, a lateral flow device (LFD) for the detection of two analytes was used. The method was developed by single and duplex PCR (<i>Mp</i>, <i>Vd</i>, <i>Mp</i> + <i>Vd</i>) using increasingly complex biological systems: (i) DNA from pure cultures of the pathogens; (ii) DNA from artificially inoculated cut melon stems; and (iii) DNA from artificially inoculated strawberry plants cv. Aromas. The duplex PCR protocol was effective in detecting the two pathogens within melon tissues and provided good results with strawberry crown tissues only when the DNA samples were purified by removing the PCR inhibitors. The amplicons were used for both agarose gel electrophoresis (AGE) and NALFIA assays and demonstrated the greater sensitivity of the NALFIA assay (10 pg) for simultaneous detection of the two pathogens.
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spelling doaj-art-e38be15eca2f4b799794ddb79de09a902025-01-24T13:15:57ZengMDPI AGAgriculture2077-04722025-01-0115216010.3390/agriculture15020160Development of a Duplex PCR-NALFIA Assay for the Simultaneous Detection of <i>Macrophomina phaseolina</i> and <i>Verticillium dahliae</i> Causal Agents of Crown and Root Rot of StrawberryViola Papini0Angelo Meloni1Susanna Pecchia2Department of Agriculture Food and Environment, University of Pisa, Via del Borghetto 80, 56124 Pisa, ItalyDepartment of Agriculture Food and Environment, University of Pisa, Via del Borghetto 80, 56124 Pisa, ItalyDepartment of Agriculture Food and Environment, University of Pisa, Via del Borghetto 80, 56124 Pisa, ItalyStrawberry crown and root rot diseases are caused by soil-borne pathogens including <i>Macrophomina phaseolina</i> (<i>Mp</i>) and <i>Verticillium dahliae</i> (<i>Vd</i>). The symptoms caused by these pathogens are very similar and difficult to distinguish, and traditional culture-based detection methods are laborious, time-consuming, and slow in providing results. In this work, we developed a duplex PCR-NALFIA assay using two pairs of species-specific primers labeled at the 5′ end with different molecules for the simultaneous identification of <i>Mp</i> and <i>Vd</i>. For the NALFIA assay, a lateral flow device (LFD) for the detection of two analytes was used. The method was developed by single and duplex PCR (<i>Mp</i>, <i>Vd</i>, <i>Mp</i> + <i>Vd</i>) using increasingly complex biological systems: (i) DNA from pure cultures of the pathogens; (ii) DNA from artificially inoculated cut melon stems; and (iii) DNA from artificially inoculated strawberry plants cv. Aromas. The duplex PCR protocol was effective in detecting the two pathogens within melon tissues and provided good results with strawberry crown tissues only when the DNA samples were purified by removing the PCR inhibitors. The amplicons were used for both agarose gel electrophoresis (AGE) and NALFIA assays and demonstrated the greater sensitivity of the NALFIA assay (10 pg) for simultaneous detection of the two pathogens.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/15/2/160molecular diagnostic methodPCR-based techniquestrawberry pathogen detectionsoil-borne pathogenslateral flow device (LFD)nucleic acid lateral flow immunoassay (NALFIA)
spellingShingle Viola Papini
Angelo Meloni
Susanna Pecchia
Development of a Duplex PCR-NALFIA Assay for the Simultaneous Detection of <i>Macrophomina phaseolina</i> and <i>Verticillium dahliae</i> Causal Agents of Crown and Root Rot of Strawberry
Agriculture
molecular diagnostic method
PCR-based technique
strawberry pathogen detection
soil-borne pathogens
lateral flow device (LFD)
nucleic acid lateral flow immunoassay (NALFIA)
title Development of a Duplex PCR-NALFIA Assay for the Simultaneous Detection of <i>Macrophomina phaseolina</i> and <i>Verticillium dahliae</i> Causal Agents of Crown and Root Rot of Strawberry
title_full Development of a Duplex PCR-NALFIA Assay for the Simultaneous Detection of <i>Macrophomina phaseolina</i> and <i>Verticillium dahliae</i> Causal Agents of Crown and Root Rot of Strawberry
title_fullStr Development of a Duplex PCR-NALFIA Assay for the Simultaneous Detection of <i>Macrophomina phaseolina</i> and <i>Verticillium dahliae</i> Causal Agents of Crown and Root Rot of Strawberry
title_full_unstemmed Development of a Duplex PCR-NALFIA Assay for the Simultaneous Detection of <i>Macrophomina phaseolina</i> and <i>Verticillium dahliae</i> Causal Agents of Crown and Root Rot of Strawberry
title_short Development of a Duplex PCR-NALFIA Assay for the Simultaneous Detection of <i>Macrophomina phaseolina</i> and <i>Verticillium dahliae</i> Causal Agents of Crown and Root Rot of Strawberry
title_sort development of a duplex pcr nalfia assay for the simultaneous detection of i macrophomina phaseolina i and i verticillium dahliae i causal agents of crown and root rot of strawberry
topic molecular diagnostic method
PCR-based technique
strawberry pathogen detection
soil-borne pathogens
lateral flow device (LFD)
nucleic acid lateral flow immunoassay (NALFIA)
url https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/15/2/160
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