title: Molecular identification of Trichoderma species associated with Pleurotus ostreatus and natural substrates of the oyster mushroom.
abstract: Green mold of Pleurotus ostreatus, caused by Trichoderma species, has recently resulted in crop losses worldwide. Therefore, there is an emerging need for rapid means of diagnosing the causal agents. A PCR assay was developed for rapid detection of Trichoderma pleurotum and Trichoderma pleuroticola, the two pathogens causing green mold of P. ostreatus. Three oligonucleotide primers were designed for identifying these species in a multiplex PCR assay based on DNA sequences within the fourth and fifth introns in the translation elongation factor 1alpha gene. The primers detected the presence of T. pleurotum and/or T. pleuroticola directly in the growing substrates of oyster mushrooms, without the need for isolating the pathogens. The assay was used to assess the presence of the two species in natural environments in which P. ostreatus can be found in Hungary, and demonstrated that T. pleuroticola was present in the growing substrates and on the surface of the basidiomes of wild oyster mushrooms. Other Trichoderma species detected in these substrates and habitats were Trichoderma harzianum, Trichoderma longibrachiatum and Trichoderma atroviride. Trichoderma pleurotum was not found in any of the samples from the forested areas tested in this study.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science and Informatics, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.
authors.forename: László
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kredics
authors.forename: Sándor
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kocsubé
authors.forename: László
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nagy
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Komoń-Zelazowska
authors.forename: László
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Manczinger
authors.forename: Eniko
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sajben
authors.forename: Adrienn
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nagy
authors.forename: Csaba
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vágvölgyi
authors.forename: Christian P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Kubicek
authors.forename: Irina S
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Druzhinina
authors.forename: Lóránt
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hatvani
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D020076:Pleurotus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D014242:Trichoderma / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers