Fungi of Alternaria genus are cosmopolitan organisms, which spores can be found in the air, soil, water, clothing and food. They commonly occur as saprotrophs on the plant remains, contributing to the decomposition of organic matter. Additionally, they are components of the normal human and animal skin flora. Alternaria spp. are also known human allergens, causing hay fever and allergic reactions that can lead to the development of asthma. They are more and more frequently found as etiological factors of superficial, organ and disseminated infections in humans and animals. The most prevalent species of Alternaria genus isolated from infection sites is A. alternata. The aim of this work was to develop PCR and real-time PCR assays that enable specific detection of A. alternata DNA. Research methods included fungal DNA isolation, design of A. alternata - specific primers based on the alignment of β-tubulin gene sequences from different fungi, PCR followed by amplicons electrophoretic analysis and real-time PCR followed by amplicons melting curve analysis. Both PCR and real-time PCR assays accurately identified all tested A. alternata strains. Developed assays are rapid, easy to interpret, and can be useful tools for detection of A. alternata.
Authors
Additional information
- Category
- Inne
- Type
- supllement, wydanie specjalne, dodatek
- Language
- angielski
- Publication year
- 2015
