Speciesspecific PCR primers for <i>Guignardia citricarpa</i> and <i>Guignardia mangiferae</i>

Abstract

The plant pathogen Guignardia citricarpa causes citrus black spot and is not considered to be present in New Zealand Speciesspecific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers were designed to identify G citricarpa and G mangiferae a closely related saprotroph that is present in New Zealand These PCR primers were tested against a range of other saprotrophic and pathogenic fungi viz Botrytis cinerea Botryosphaeria dothidea B parva Cladosporium sp Colletotrichum acutatum C gloeosporioides Cryptosporiopsis sp Epicoccum sp Nigrospora sp Penicillium sp Pestalotia sp Phialophora sp Phlyctema sp Phoma sp Phomopsis sp Stemphylium sp and Venturia inaequalis The primers JRGGc were specific to G citricarpa and JRGGm to G mangiferae A 226 bp product was amplified from G mangiferae DNA using JRGGm primers and a 501 bp product was amplified from G citricarpa DNA using JRGGc primers These primers thus distinguished G citricarpa from G mangiferae and can be used to rapidly identify incursions by citrus black spot