1
|
Cubero J, Zarco-Tejada PJ, Cuesta-Morrondo S, Palacio-Bielsa A, Navas-Cortés JA, Sabuquillo P, Poblete T, Landa BB, Garita-Cambronero J. New Approaches to Plant Pathogen Detection and Disease Diagnosis. PHYTOPATHOLOGY 2024; 114:1989-2006. [PMID: 39264350 DOI: 10.1094/phyto-10-23-0366-ia] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/13/2024]
Abstract
Detecting plant pathogens and diagnosing diseases are critical components of successful pest management. These key areas have undergone significant advancements driven by breakthroughs in molecular biology and remote sensing technologies within the realm of precision agriculture. Notably, nucleic acid amplification techniques, with recent emphasis on sequencing procedures, particularly next-generation sequencing, have enabled improved DNA or RNA amplification detection protocols that now enable previously unthinkable strategies aimed at dissecting plant microbiota, including the disease-causing components. Simultaneously, the domain of remote sensing has seen the emergence of cutting-edge imaging sensor technologies and the integration of powerful computational tools, such as machine learning. These innovations enable spectral analysis of foliar symptoms and specific pathogen-induced alterations, making imaging spectroscopy and thermal imaging fundamental tools for large-scale disease surveillance and monitoring. These technologies contribute significantly to understanding the temporal and spatial dynamics of plant diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jaime Cubero
- Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Pablo J Zarco-Tejada
- School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystem Sciences, Faculty of Science and Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology (IE-FEIT), University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Instituto de Agricultura Sostenible (IAS), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Córdoba, Spain
| | - Sara Cuesta-Morrondo
- Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
- Departamento de Biotecnología-Biología Vegetal, Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería Agronómica, Alimentaria y de Biosistemas, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ana Palacio-Bielsa
- Centro de Investigación y Tecnología Agroalimentaria de Aragón-Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón-IA2 (CITA-Universidad de Zaragoza), Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Juan A Navas-Cortés
- Instituto de Agricultura Sostenible (IAS), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Córdoba, Spain
| | - Pilar Sabuquillo
- Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Tomás Poblete
- School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystem Sciences, Faculty of Science and Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology (IE-FEIT), University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Blanca B Landa
- Instituto de Agricultura Sostenible (IAS), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Córdoba, Spain
| | | |
Collapse
|
2
|
Dhar BC, Delgado Santander R, Aćimović SG. Improved Canker Processing and Viability Droplet Digital PCR Allow Detection of Erwinia amylovora Viable Nonculturable Cells in Apple Bark. Microorganisms 2024; 12:376. [PMID: 38399780 PMCID: PMC10893025 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12020376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2023] [Revised: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The bacterium Erwinia amylovora causes fire blight and continues to threaten global commercial apple and pear production. Conventional microbiology techniques cannot accurately determine the presence of live pathogen cells in fire blight cankers. Several factors may prevent E. amylovora from growing on solid culture media, including competing microbiota and the release of bacterial-growth-inhibitory compounds by plant material during sample processing. We previously developed a canker processing methodology and a chip-based viability digital PCR (v-dPCR) assay using propidium monoazide (PMA) to bypass these obstacles. However, sample analysis was still time-consuming and physically demanding. In this work, we improved the previous protocol using an automatic tissue homogenizer and transferred the chip-based v-dPCR to the BioRad QX200 droplet dPCR (ddPCR) platform. The improved sample processing method allowed the simultaneous, fast, and effortless processing of up to six samples. Moreover, the transferred v-ddPCR protocol was compatible with the same PMA treatment and showed a similar dynamic range, from 7.2 × 102 to 7.6 × 107 cells mL-1, as the previous v-dPCR. Finally, the improved protocol allowed, for the first time, the detection of E. amylovora viable but nonculturable (VBNC) cells in cankers and bark tissues surrounding cankers. Our v-ddPCR assay will enable new ways to evaluate resistant pome fruit tree germplasm, further dissect the E. amylovora life cycle, and elucidate E. amylovora physiology, epidemiology, and new options for canker management.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bidhan Chandra Dhar
- Alson H. Smith Jr. Agricultural Research and Extension Center, School of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 595 Laurel Grove Rd, Winchester, VA 22602, USA;
| | - Ricardo Delgado Santander
- Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension Center, College of Agricultural, Human and Natural Resource Sciences, Washington State University, Prosser, WA 99350, USA;
| | - Srđan G. Aćimović
- Alson H. Smith Jr. Agricultural Research and Extension Center, School of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 595 Laurel Grove Rd, Winchester, VA 22602, USA;
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Lee UJ, Oh Y, Kwon OS, Park JM, Cho HM, Kim DH, Kim M. Single-Cell Detection of Erwinia amylovora Using Bio-Functionalized SIS Sensor. SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 23:7400. [PMID: 37687855 PMCID: PMC10490433 DOI: 10.3390/s23177400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Revised: 08/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023]
Abstract
Herein, we developed a bio-functionalized solution-immersed silicon (SIS) sensor at the single-cell level to identify Erwinia amylovora (E. amylovora), a highly infectious bacterial pathogen responsible for fire blight, which is notorious for its rapid spread and destructive impact on apple and pear orchards. This method allows for ultra-sensitive measurements without pre-amplification or labeling compared to conventional methods. To detect a single cell of E. amylovora, we used Lipopolysaccharide Transporter E (LptE), which is involved in the assembly of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) at the surface of the outer membrane of E. amylovora, as a capture agent. We confirmed that LptE interacts with E. amylovora via LPS through in-house ELISA analysis, then used it to construct the sensor chip by immobilizing the capture molecule on the sensor surface modified with 3'-Aminopropyl triethoxysilane (APTES) and glutaraldehyde (GA). The LptE-based SIS sensor exhibited the sensitive and specific detection of the target bacterial cell in real time. The dose-response curve shows a linearity (R2 > 0.992) with wide dynamic ranges from 1 to 107 cells/mL for the target bacterial pathogen. The sensor showed the value change (dΨ) of approximately 0.008° for growing overlayer thickness induced from a single-cell E. amylovora, while no change in the control bacterial cell (Bacillus subtilis) was observed, or negligible change, if any. Furthermore, the bacterial sensor demonstrated a potential for the continuous detection of E. amylovora through simple surface regeneration, enabling its reusability. Taken together, our system has the potential to be applied in fields where early symptoms are not observed and where single-cell or ultra-sensitive detection is required, such as plant bacterial pathogen detection, foodborne pathogen monitoring and analysis, and pathogenic microbial diagnosis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ui Jin Lee
- Critical Diseases Diagnostics Convergence Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), 125 Gwahang-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea; (U.J.L.); (Y.O.)
| | - Yunkwang Oh
- Critical Diseases Diagnostics Convergence Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), 125 Gwahang-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea; (U.J.L.); (Y.O.)
| | - Oh Seok Kwon
- SKKU Advanced Institute of Nanotechnology (SAINT), Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea;
- Department of Nano Science and Technology, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea
- Department of Nano Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea
| | - Jeong Mee Park
- Plant Systems Engineering Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), 125 Gwahang-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea;
| | - Hyun Mo Cho
- Division of Advanced Instrumentation Institute, Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS), 267 Gajeong-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34113, Republic of Korea;
| | - Dong Hyung Kim
- Division of Advanced Instrumentation Institute, Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS), 267 Gajeong-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34113, Republic of Korea;
| | - Moonil Kim
- Critical Diseases Diagnostics Convergence Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), 125 Gwahang-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea; (U.J.L.); (Y.O.)
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Tjandra KC, Ram-Mohan N, Abe R, Wang TH, Yang S. Rapid Molecular Phenotypic Antimicrobial Susceptibility Test for Neisseria gonorrhoeae Based on Propidium Monoazide Viability PCR. ACS Infect Dis 2023; 9:1160-1167. [PMID: 37115656 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.3c00096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/29/2023]
Abstract
Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) is an urgent threat to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) worldwide. NG has acquired rapid resistance to all previously recommended treatments, leaving ceftriaxone monotherapy as the first and last line of therapy for uncomplicated NG. The ability to rapidly determine susceptibility, which is currently nonexistent for NG, has been proposed as a strategy to preserve ceftriaxone by using alternative treatments. Herein, we used a DNA-intercalating dye in combination with NG-specific primers/probes to generate qPCR cycle threshold (Ct) values at different concentrations of 2 NG-relevant antimicrobials. Our proof-of-concept dual-antimicrobial logistic regression model based on the differential Ct measurements achieved an AUC of 0.93 with a categorical agreement for the susceptibility of 84.6%. When surveying the performance against each antimicrobial separately, the model predicted 90 and 75% susceptible and resistant strains, respectively, to ceftriaxone and 66.7 and 83.3% susceptible and resistant strains, respectively, to ciprofloxacin. We further validated the model against the individual replicates and determined the accuracy of the model in classifying susceptibility agnostic of the inoculum size. We demonstrated a novel PCR-based approach to determine phenotypic ciprofloxacin and ceftriaxone susceptibility information for NG with reasonable accuracy within 30 min, a significant improvement compared to the conventional method which could take multiple days.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kristel C Tjandra
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, California 94305, United States
| | - Nikhil Ram-Mohan
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, California 94305, United States
| | - Ryuichiro Abe
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, California 94305, United States
| | - Tza-Huei Wang
- Departments of Mechanical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States
| | - Samuel Yang
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, California 94305, United States
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Basu S, Sineva E, Nguyen L, Sikdar N, Park JW, Sinev M, Kunta M, Gupta G. Host-derived chimeric peptides clear the causative bacteria and augment host innate immunity during infection: A case study of HLB in citrus and fire blight in apple. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:929478. [PMID: 36618616 PMCID: PMC9816411 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.929478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Bacterial diseases cause severe losses in the production and revenue of many fruit crops, including citrus and apple. Huanglongbing (HLB) in citrus and fire blight in apple are two deadly diseases without any cure. In this article, we introduce a novel therapy for HLB and fire blight by enhancing the innate immunity of the host plants. Specifically, we constructed in silico a library of chimeras containing two different host peptides with observed or predicted antibacterial activity. Subsequently, we performed bactericidal and toxicity tests in vitro to select a few non-toxic chimeras with high antibacterial activity. Finally, we conducted ex planta studies to show that not only do the chimeras clear the causative bacteria from citrus leaves with HLB and from apple leaves with fire blight but they also augment the host's innate immunity during infection. This platform technology can be extended to design host-derived chimeras against multiple pathogenic bacteria that cause diseases in plants and animals of agricultural importance and in humans.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Supratim Basu
- New Mexico Consortium, NMC-Biolab at Santa Fe Business Incubator, Santa Fe, NM, United States
| | - Elena Sineva
- New Mexico Consortium, NMC-Biolab at Santa Fe Business Incubator, Santa Fe, NM, United States
| | - Liza Nguyen
- New Mexico Consortium, NMC-Biolab at Santa Fe Business Incubator, Santa Fe, NM, United States
| | - Narattam Sikdar
- New Mexico Consortium, NMC-Biolab at Santa Fe Business Incubator, Santa Fe, NM, United States
| | - Jong Won Park
- Texas A&M Univ.-Kingsville Citrus Center, Weslaco, TX, United States
| | - Mikhail Sinev
- New Mexico Consortium, NMC-Biolab at Santa Fe Business Incubator, Santa Fe, NM, United States
| | - Madhurababu Kunta
- Texas A&M Univ.-Kingsville Citrus Center, Weslaco, TX, United States
| | - Goutam Gupta
- New Mexico Consortium, NMC-Biolab at Santa Fe Business Incubator, Santa Fe, NM, United States
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Santander RD, Khodadadi F, Meredith CL, Rađenović Ž, Clements J, Aćimović SG. Fire blight resistance, irrigation and conducive wet weather improve Erwinia amylovora winter survival in cankers. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:1009364. [PMID: 36329850 PMCID: PMC9623323 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1009364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Erwinia amylovora causes fire blight, a disease responsible for enormous economic losses in the pome fruit-producing areas where it is present. Despite the abundant research on fire blight, information about E. amylovora population dynamics and survival in fire blight cankers and the plant defense responses to this pathogen in the infected bark are limited. In our study, we obtained fire blight cankers in apple, pear, and Asian pear cultivars showing differing resistance to the disease by shoot inoculation with E. amylovora. We collected cankers from irrigated and non-irrigated trees every 3 months in two independent field experiments and analyzed samples by viability digital PCR. We also assessed the expression of pathogenicity-related (PR) genes in the bark of selected apple and Asian pear cultivars. A logistic regression analysis revealed the impact of environmental and host factors on E. amylovora detection rates in cankers. The chances of detecting live E. amylovora cells in cankers increased significantly in those collected from irrigated trees, in July, and/or during an experiment performed in a year with an expected average rainfall when compared to samples from non-irrigated trees, collected in January, and/or during an experiment performed under environmental conditions dominated by drought. We found a positive correlation between the pathogen detection rates in cankers and the host resistance to fire blight that might be explained by lower E. amylovora survival rates in more damaged tissues of susceptible hosts. The genes PR-1, PR-2, PR-5, and PR-8 were induced in the bark surrounding apple and Asian pear fire blight cankers. Our study, involving the analysis of more than 800 canker samples, provides new knowledge about the fire blight disease cycle and lays the foundation for improved fire blight management and eradication strategies in pome fruit orchards.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ricardo D. Santander
- Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension Center, College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences, Washington State University, Prosser, WA, United States
- Hudson Valley Research Laboratory, School of Integrative Plant Science, Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology Section, Cornell University, Highland, NY, United States
| | - Fatemeh Khodadadi
- Alson H. Smith Jr. Agricultural Research and Extension Center, School of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Winchester, VA, United States
| | - Christopher L. Meredith
- Hudson Valley Research Laboratory, School of Integrative Plant Science, Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology Section, Cornell University, Highland, NY, United States
| | - Željko Rađenović
- Hudson Valley Research Laboratory, School of Integrative Plant Science, Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology Section, Cornell University, Highland, NY, United States
| | - Jon Clements
- Center for Agriculture, Food, and the Environment, University of Massachusetts Amherst, UMass Cold Spring Orchard, Belchertown, MA, United States
| | - Srđan G. Aćimović
- Alson H. Smith Jr. Agricultural Research and Extension Center, School of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Winchester, VA, United States
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Nyaruaba R, Mwaliko C, Dobnik D, Neužil P, Amoth P, Mwau M, Yu J, Yang H, Wei H. Digital PCR Applications in the SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 Era: a Roadmap for Future Outbreaks. Clin Microbiol Rev 2022; 35:e0016821. [PMID: 35258315 PMCID: PMC9491181 DOI: 10.1128/cmr.00168-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has led to a global public health disaster. The current gold standard for the diagnosis of infected patients is real-time reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). As effective as this method may be, it is subject to false-negative and -positive results, affecting its precision, especially for the detection of low viral loads in samples. In contrast, digital PCR (dPCR), the third generation of PCR, has been shown to be more effective than the gold standard, RT-qPCR, in detecting low viral loads in samples. In this review article, we selected publications to show the broad-spectrum applications of dPCR, including the development of assays and reference standards, environmental monitoring, mutation detection, and clinical diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2, while comparing it analytically to the gold standard, RT-qPCR. In summary, it is evident that the specificity, sensitivity, reproducibility, and detection limits of RT-dPCR are generally unaffected by common factors that may affect RT-qPCR. As this is the first time that dPCR is being tested in an outbreak of such a magnitude, knowledge of its applications will help chart a course for future diagnosis and monitoring of infectious disease outbreaks.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Raphael Nyaruaba
- Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens and Biosafety, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- International College, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Sino-Africa Joint Research Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Caroline Mwaliko
- International College, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Sino-Africa Joint Research Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Molecular Virology and Immunology, Institut Pasteur of Shanghai, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - David Dobnik
- Department of Biotechnology and Systems Biology, National Institute of Biology, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Pavel Neužil
- Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Patrick Amoth
- Ministry of Health, Government of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Matilu Mwau
- Center for Infectious and Parasitic Diseases Control Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Busia, Kenya
| | - Junping Yu
- Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens and Biosafety, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Hang Yang
- Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens and Biosafety, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Hongping Wei
- Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens and Biosafety, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Trinh KTL, Lee NY. Recent Methods for the Viability Assessment of Bacterial Pathogens: Advances, Challenges, and Future Perspectives. Pathogens 2022; 11:1057. [PMID: 36145489 PMCID: PMC9500772 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11091057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Revised: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Viability assessment is a critical step in evaluating bacterial pathogens to determine infectious risks to public health. Based on three accepted viable criteria (culturability, metabolic activity, and membrane integrity), current viability assessments are categorized into three main strategies. The first strategy relies on the culturability of bacteria. The major limitation of this strategy is that it cannot detect viable but nonculturable (VBNC) bacteria. As the second strategy, based on the metabolic activity of bacteria, VBNC bacteria can be detected. However, VBNC bacteria sometimes can enter a dormant state that allows them to silence reproduction and metabolism; therefore, they cannot be detected based on culturability and metabolic activity. In order to overcome this drawback, viability assessments based on membrane integrity (third strategy) have been developed. However, these techniques generally require multiple steps, bulky machines, and laboratory technicians to conduct the tests, making them less attractive and popular applications. With significant advances in microfluidic technology, these limitations of current technologies for viability assessment can be improved. This review summarized and discussed the advances, challenges, and future perspectives of current methods for the viability assessment of bacterial pathogens.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kieu The Loan Trinh
- Department of Industrial Environmental Engineering, Gachon University, 1342 Seongnam-daero, Sujeong-gu, Seongnam-si 13120, Korea
| | - Nae Yoon Lee
- Department of BioNano Technology, Gachon University, 1342 Seongnam-daero, Sujeong-gu, Seongnam-si 13120, Korea
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Riborg A, Gulla S, Strand D, Wiik‐Nielsen J, Rønneseth A, Welch TJ, Spilsberg B, Colquhoun DJ. qPCR screening for Yersinia ruckeri clonal complex 1 against a background of putatively avirulent strains in Norwegian aquaculture. JOURNAL OF FISH DISEASES 2022; 45:1211-1224. [PMID: 35648597 PMCID: PMC9545435 DOI: 10.1111/jfd.13656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Revised: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Although a number of genetically diverse Yersinia ruckeri strains are present in Norwegian aquaculture environments, most if not all outbreaks of yersiniosis in Atlantic salmon in Norway are associated with a single specific genetic lineage of serotype O1, termed clonal complex 1. To investigate the presence and spread of virulent and putatively avirulent strains in Norwegian salmon farms, PCR assays specific for Y. ruckeri (species level) and Y. ruckeri clonal complex 1 were developed. Following extensive screening of water and biofilm, the widespread prevalence of putatively avirulent Y. ruckeri strains was confirmed in freshwater salmon hatcheries, while Y. ruckeri clonal complex 1 was found in fewer farms. The formalin-killed bacterin yersiniosis vaccine was detected in environmental samples by both PCR assays for several weeks post-vaccination. It is thus important to interpret results from recently vaccinated fish with great care. Moreover, field studies and laboratory trials confirmed that stressful management procedures may result in increased shedding of Y. ruckeri by sub-clinically infected fish. Analysis of sea water sampled throughout thermal delousing procedures proved effective for detection of Y. ruckeri in sub-clinically infected populations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Riborg
- Norwegian Veterinary InstituteÅsNorway
- Vaxxinova Norway ASBergenNorway
| | | | | | | | | | - Timothy J. Welch
- National Centre for Cool and Coldwater AquacultureLeetownWest VirginiaUSA
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
10
|
Wang H, Wagnon R, Moreno D, Timilsina S, Jones J, Vallad G, Turechek WW. A Long-Amplicon Viability-qPCR Test for Quantifying Living Pathogens that Cause Bacterial Spot in Tomato Seed. PLANT DISEASE 2022; 106:1474-1485. [PMID: 34894749 DOI: 10.1094/pdis-11-21-2509-re] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Bacterial spot is one of the most serious diseases of tomato. It is caused by four species of Xanthomonas: X. euvesicatoria, X. gardneri, X. perforans, and X. vesicatoria. Contaminated or infected seed can be a major source of inoculum for this disease. The use of certified pathogen-free seed is one of the primary management practices to reduce the inoculum load in commercial production. Current seed testing protocols rely mainly on plating the seed extract and conventional PCR; however, the plating method cannot detect viable but nonculturable cells, and the conventional PCR assay has limited capability to differentiate DNA extracted from viable or dead bacterial cells. To improve the sensitivity and specificity of the tomato seed testing method for bacterial spot pathogens, a long-amplicon quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay coupled with propidium monoazide (PMA-qPCR) was developed to quantify selectively the four pathogenic Xanthomonas species in tomato seed. The optimized PMA-qPCR procedure was evaluated on pure bacterial suspensions, bacteria-spiked seed extracts, and seed extracts of inoculated and naturally infected seed. A crude DNA extraction protocol also was developed, and PMA-qPCR with crude bacterial DNA extracts resulted in accurate quantification of 104 to 108 CFU/ml of viable bacteria when mixed with dead cells at concentrations as high as 107 CFU/ml in the seed extracts. With DNA purified from concentrated seed extracts, the PMA-qPCR assay was able to detect DNA of the target pathogens in seed samples spiked with ≥75 CFU/ml (about 0.5 CFU/seed) of the viable pathogens. Latent class analysis of the inoculated and naturally infected seed samples showed that the PMA-qPCR assay had greater sensitivity than plating the seed extracts on the semiselective modified Tween Medium B and CKTM media for all four target species. Being much faster and more sensitive than dilution plating, the PMA-qPCR assay has potential to be used as a standalone tool or in combination with the plating method to improve tomato seed testing and advance the production of clean seed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hehe Wang
- EDISTO Research and Education Center, Clemson University, Blackville, SC 29817
| | - Rieanna Wagnon
- EDISTO Research and Education Center, Clemson University, Blackville, SC 29817
| | - Daniela Moreno
- EDISTO Research and Education Center, Clemson University, Blackville, SC 29817
| | | | | | - Gary Vallad
- Gulf Coast Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Wimauma, FL 33598
| | | |
Collapse
|
11
|
Santander RD, Gašić K, Aćimović SG. Selective Quantification of Erwinia amylovora Live Cells in Pome Fruit Tree Cankers by Viability Digital PCR. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2536:231-249. [PMID: 35819608 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2517-0_14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The accurate assessment of Erwinia amylovora live cell populations in fire blight cankers by classic microbiology methods has major limitations. Some of them are the presence of competitive microbiota in samples that inhibit E. amylovora's growth and the release of toxic compounds by plant material during sample processing, which may hamper the pathogen's ability to form colonies on solid media. Digital PCR (dPCR) combined with the photo-reactive DNA-binding dye propidium monoazide (PMA) allows selective detection and quantification of live E. amylovora cells in woody samples while overcoming the constraints of culture-dependent methods. This work describes a reliable viability dPCR procedure to determine E. amylovora live cell concentrations in fire blight cankers from pome fruit trees. This protocol can be adapted for the analysis of other types of plant material and enables investigation of ecological, epidemiological, and management significance of cankers as a relatively underexplored part of the fire blight disease cycle.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ricardo Delgado Santander
- Cornell University, Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology Section, School of Integrative Plant Sciences, Hudson Valley Research Laboratory, Highland, NY, USA
| | - Katarina Gašić
- Cornell University, Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology Section, School of Integrative Plant Sciences, Hudson Valley Research Laboratory, Highland, NY, USA
- Institute for Plant Protection and Environment, Department of Plant Diseases, Laboratory for Phytopathology, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Srđan Goran Aćimović
- CenterVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, School of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Alson H. Smith Jr. Agricultural Research and Extension Center, Winchester, VA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Aćimović SG, Meredith CL, Santander RD, Khodadadi F. Proof of Concept for Shoot Blight and Fire Blight Canker Management with Postinfection Spray Applications of Prohexadione-Calcium and Acibenzolar- S-Methyl in Apple. PLANT DISEASE 2021; 105:4095-4105. [PMID: 34232052 DOI: 10.1094/pdis-08-20-1744-re] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
To reduce the severity of shoot blight and prevent the resulting development of cankers on perennial apple wood, we evaluated eight fire blight postinfection spray programs of prohexadione-calcium (PCA) alone or with acibenzolar-S-methyl (ASM) over 2 years. On mature trees of cultivar Royal Court, a single application of the high PCA rate (247 mg/liter) at 2 to 3 days after inoculation resulted in 89.5 and 69.5% reduction of shoot blight severity after inoculation. Two applications of PCA 247 mg/liter 12 or 14 days apart, with the first one applied 2 to 3 days after inoculation, resulted in 78.8 and 74.5% reduction of shoot blight severity in both years. A 100% control of canker incidence on perennial wood from infected shoots in both years was achieved with a single application of PCA (247 mg/liter) applied at 2 or 3 days after the inoculation, and three applications of PCA (125 mg/liter) + ASM (25 mg/liter) 12 to 16 days apart reduced canker incidence by 83.5 and 69% in the 2 years. The other programs with lower PCA rates and frequencies of application reduced shoot blight severity 50.8 and 51.8% (PCA) and 62.6 to 72% and 59.3% (PCA + ASM) over 2 years, respectively. Reduction of canker incidence on wood by the other programs was 66.5% and 69 to 90.4% in the two years, respectively. As fire blight cankers lead to death of dwarf apple trees and serve as primary sources of inoculum, our effective PCA and PCA + ASM programs could serve as viable postinfection management options. These treatments can reduce or prevent canker development and thus significantly abate tree losses in high-density apple orchards after fire blight epidemics occur.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Srđan G Aćimović
- Department of Plant Pathology, Physiology, and Weed Science, School of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Alson H. Smith Jr. Agricultural Research and Extension Center, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Winchester, VA 22602
| | - Christopher L Meredith
- Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology Section, School of Integrative Plant Sciences, Hudson Valley Research Laboratory, Cornell University, Highland, NY 12528
| | - Ricardo Delgado Santander
- Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology Section, School of Integrative Plant Sciences, Hudson Valley Research Laboratory, Cornell University, Highland, NY 12528
| | - Fatemeh Khodadadi
- Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology Section, School of Integrative Plant Sciences, Hudson Valley Research Laboratory, Cornell University, Highland, NY 12528
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Ott A, Quintela-Baluja M, Zealand AM, O'Donnell G, Haniffah MRM, Graham DW. Improved quantitative microbiome profiling for environmental antibiotic resistance surveillance. ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOME 2021; 16:21. [PMID: 34794510 PMCID: PMC8600772 DOI: 10.1186/s40793-021-00391-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Understanding environmental microbiomes and antibiotic resistance (AR) is hindered by over reliance on relative abundance data from next-generation sequencing. Relative data limits our ability to quantify changes in microbiomes and resistomes over space and time because sequencing depth is not considered and makes data less suitable for Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessments (QMRA), critical in quantifying environmental AR exposure and transmission risks. RESULTS Here we combine quantitative microbiome profiling (QMP; parallelization of amplicon sequencing and 16S rRNA qPCR to estimate cell counts) and absolute resistome profiling (based on high-throughput qPCR) to quantify AR along an anthropogenically impacted river. We show QMP overcomes biases caused by relative taxa abundance data and show the benefits of using unified Hill number diversities to describe environmental microbial communities. Our approach overcomes weaknesses in previous methods and shows Hill numbers are better for QMP in diversity characterisation. CONCLUSIONS Methods here can be adapted for any microbiome and resistome research question, but especially providing more quantitative data for QMRA and other environmental applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amelie Ott
- School of Engineering, Newcastle University, Cassie Building, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK
| | - Marcos Quintela-Baluja
- School of Engineering, Newcastle University, Cassie Building, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK
| | - Andrew M Zealand
- School of Engineering, Newcastle University, Cassie Building, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK
| | - Greg O'Donnell
- School of Engineering, Newcastle University, Cassie Building, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK
| | | | - David W Graham
- School of Engineering, Newcastle University, Cassie Building, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Kharadi RR, Schachterle JK, Yuan X, Castiblanco LF, Peng J, Slack SM, Zeng Q, Sundin GW. Genetic Dissection of the Erwinia amylovora Disease Cycle. ANNUAL REVIEW OF PHYTOPATHOLOGY 2021; 59:191-212. [PMID: 33945696 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-phyto-020620-095540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Fire blight, caused by the bacterial phytopathogen Erwinia amylovora, is an economically important and mechanistically complex disease that affects apple and pear production in most geographic production hubs worldwide. We compile, assess, and present a genetic outlook on the progression of an E. amylovora infection in the host. We discuss the key aspects of type III secretion-mediated infection and systemic movement, biofilm formation in xylem, and pathogen dispersal via ooze droplets, a concentrated suspension of bacteria and exopolysaccharide components. We present an overall outlook on the genetic elements contributing to E. amylovora pathogenesis, including an exploration of the impact of floral microbiomes on E. amylovora colonization, and summarize the current knowledge of host responses to an incursion and how this response stimulates further infection and systemic spread. We hope to facilitate the identification of new, unexplored areas of research in this pathosystem that can help identify evolutionarily susceptible genetic targets to ultimately aid in the design of sustainable strategies for fire blight disease mitigation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Roshni R Kharadi
- Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, USA;
| | - Jeffrey K Schachterle
- Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, USA;
- Floral and Nursery Plants Research Unit, US National Arboretum, USDA-ARS, Beltsville, Maryland 20705, USA
| | - Xiaochen Yuan
- Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, USA;
| | - Luisa F Castiblanco
- Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, USA;
| | - Jingyu Peng
- Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, USA;
| | - Suzanne M Slack
- Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, USA;
| | - Quan Zeng
- Department of Plant Pathology and Ecology, The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, USA
| | - George W Sundin
- Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, USA;
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Barrett-Manako K, Andersen M, Martínez-Sánchez M, Jenkins H, Hunter S, Reese-George J, Montefiori M, Wohlers M, Rikkerink E, Templeton M, Nardozza S. Real-Time PCR and Droplet Digital PCR Are Accurate and Reliable Methods To Quantify Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae Biovar 3 in Kiwifruit Infected Plantlets. PLANT DISEASE 2021; 105:1748-1757. [PMID: 33206018 DOI: 10.1094/pdis-08-20-1703-re] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae is the etiological agent of kiwifruit canker disease, causing severe economic losses in kiwifruit production areas around the world. Rapid diagnosis, understanding of bacterial virulence, and rate of infection in kiwifruit cultivars are important in applying effective measures of disease control. P. syringae pv. actinidiae load in kiwifruit is currently determined by a labor-intense colony counting method with no high-throughput and specific quantification method being validated. In this work, we used three alternative P. syringae pv. actinidiae quantification methods in two infected kiwifruit cultivars: start of growth time, quantitative PCR (qPCR), and droplet digital PCR (ddPCR). Method performance in each case was compared with the colony counting method. Methods were validated using calibration curves obtained with serial dilutions of P. syringae pv. actinidiae biovar 3 (Psa3) inoculum and standard growth curves obtained from kiwifruit samples infected with Psa3 inoculum. All three alternative methods showed high correlation (r > 0.85) with the colony counting method. qPCR and ddPCR were very specific, sensitive (5 × 102 CFU/cm2), highly correlated to each other (r = 0.955), and flexible, allowing for sample storage. The inclusion of a kiwifruit biomass marker increased the methods' accuracy. The qPCR method was efficient and allowed for high-throughput processing, and the ddPCR method showed highly accurate results but was more expensive and time consuming. While not ideal for high-throughput processing, ddPCR was useful in developing accurate standard curves for the qPCR method. The combination of the two methods is high-throughput, specific for Psa3 quantification, and useful for research studies (e.g., disease phenotyping and host-pathogen interactions).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Mark Andersen
- New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
| | | | - Heather Jenkins
- New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand
| | - Shannon Hunter
- New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
| | - Jonathan Reese-George
- New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
| | - Mirco Montefiori
- New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
| | - Mark Wohlers
- New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
| | - Erik Rikkerink
- New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
| | - Matt Templeton
- New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
| | - Simona Nardozza
- New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Digital PCR: What Relevance to Plant Studies? BIOLOGY 2020; 9:biology9120433. [PMID: 33266157 PMCID: PMC7760125 DOI: 10.3390/biology9120433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Revised: 11/25/2020] [Accepted: 11/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Simple Summary Digital PCR is a third-generation technology based on the subdivision of the analytical sample into numerous partitions that are amplified individually. This review presents the major applications of digital PCR (dPCR) technology developed so far in the field of plant science. In greater detail, dPCR assays have been developed to trace genetically modified plant components, pathogenic and non-pathogenic microorganisms, and plant species. Other applications have concerned the study of the aspects of structural and functional genetics. Abstract Digital PCR (dPCR) is a breakthrough technology that able to provide sensitive and absolute nucleic acid quantification. It is a third-generation technology in the field of nucleic acid amplification. A unique feature of the technique is that of dividing the sample into numerous separate compartments, in each of which an independent amplification reaction takes place. Several instrumental platforms have been developed for this purpose, and different statistical approaches are available for reading the digital output data. The dPCR assays developed so far in the plant science sector were identified in the literature, and the major applications, advantages, disadvantages, and applicative perspectives of the technique are presented and discussed in this review.
Collapse
|
17
|
Morcia C, Tumino G, Gasparo G, Ceresoli C, Fattorini C, Ghizzoni R, Carnevali P, Terzi V. Moving from qPCR to Chip Digital PCR Assays for Tracking of some Fusarium Species Causing Fusarium Head Blight in Cereals. Microorganisms 2020; 8:E1307. [PMID: 32867286 PMCID: PMC7564955 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8091307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Revised: 08/23/2020] [Accepted: 08/26/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
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.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Caterina Morcia
- Council for Agricultural Research and Economics, Research Centre for Genomics and Bioinformatics, I-29017 Fiorenzuola d’Arda PC, Italy; (C.M.); (G.T.); (G.G.); (C.C.); (C.F.); (R.G.)
| | - Giorgio Tumino
- Council for Agricultural Research and Economics, Research Centre for Genomics and Bioinformatics, I-29017 Fiorenzuola d’Arda PC, Italy; (C.M.); (G.T.); (G.G.); (C.C.); (C.F.); (R.G.)
| | - Giulia Gasparo
- Council for Agricultural Research and Economics, Research Centre for Genomics and Bioinformatics, I-29017 Fiorenzuola d’Arda PC, Italy; (C.M.); (G.T.); (G.G.); (C.C.); (C.F.); (R.G.)
| | - Caterina Ceresoli
- Council for Agricultural Research and Economics, Research Centre for Genomics and Bioinformatics, I-29017 Fiorenzuola d’Arda PC, Italy; (C.M.); (G.T.); (G.G.); (C.C.); (C.F.); (R.G.)
| | - Chiara Fattorini
- Council for Agricultural Research and Economics, Research Centre for Genomics and Bioinformatics, I-29017 Fiorenzuola d’Arda PC, Italy; (C.M.); (G.T.); (G.G.); (C.C.); (C.F.); (R.G.)
| | - Roberta Ghizzoni
- Council for Agricultural Research and Economics, Research Centre for Genomics and Bioinformatics, I-29017 Fiorenzuola d’Arda PC, Italy; (C.M.); (G.T.); (G.G.); (C.C.); (C.F.); (R.G.)
| | | | - Valeria Terzi
- Council for Agricultural Research and Economics, Research Centre for Genomics and Bioinformatics, I-29017 Fiorenzuola d’Arda PC, Italy; (C.M.); (G.T.); (G.G.); (C.C.); (C.F.); (R.G.)
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Lancíková V, Hricová A. Digital Absolute Gene Expression Analysis of Essential Starch-Related Genes in a Radiation Developed Amaranthus cruentus L. Variety in Comparison with Real-Time PCR. PLANTS 2020; 9:plants9080966. [PMID: 32751665 PMCID: PMC7464018 DOI: 10.3390/plants9080966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Revised: 07/23/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
We investigated the expression pattern of four major starch genes at different seed developmental stages in the radiation-bred amaranth variety “Pribina” (Amaranthus cruentus L.) and corresponding control genotype “Ficha” (Amaranthus cruentus L.). Two platforms were used and compared for the gene expression analysis of GBSSI, SSSI, SBE, and DBE amaranth genes, including a standard quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) technique and relatively novel droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) assay. In our conditions, both methods showed great accuracy and revealed higher expression of the investigated genes in the mutant variety than in the control genotype. Here we report for the first time, a ddPCR gene expression assay for the cultivated grain amaranth, as the most important group of the species in the genus Amaranthus.
Collapse
|