Prospects of molecular markers in Fusarium species diversity

S. Chandra Nayaka, Ednar Gadelha Wulff, A.C. Udayashankar, B.P. Nandini, S.R. Niranjana, C A Nieves Paulino Mortensen, H.S. Prakash

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    62 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    Recent developments in genomics have opened up for newer opportunities to study the diversity and classification of fungi. The genus Fusarium contains many plant pathogens that attack diverse agricultural crops. Fusarium spp. are not only pathogenic to plants but are also known as toxin producers that negatively affect animal and human health. The identification of Fusarium species still remains one of the most critical issues in fungal taxonomy, given that the number of species recognized in the genus has been constantly changing in the last century due to the different taxonomic systems. This review focuses of various molecular-based techniques employed to study the diversity of Fusarium species causing diseases in major food crops. An introduction of fusarial diseases and their mycotoxins and molecular-marker-based methods for detection introduce the concept of marker application. Various well-known molecular techniques such as random amplified polymorphic DNA, amplification fragment length polymorphism, etc. to more modern ones such as DNA microarrays, DNA barcoding, and pyrosequencing and their application form the core of the review. Target regions in the genome which can be potential candidates for generation of probes and their use in phylogeny of Fusarium spp. are also presented. The concluding part emphasizes the value of molecular markers for assessing genetic variability and reveals that molecular tools are indispensable for providing information not only of one Fusarium species but on whole fungal community. This will be of extreme value for diagnosticians and researchers concerned with fungal biology, ecology, and genetics.
    Original languageEnglish
    JournalApplied Microbiology and Biotechnology
    Volume90
    Issue number5
    Pages (from-to)1625-1639
    Number of pages15
    ISSN0175-7598
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2011

    Keywords

    • BRIC
    • Fusarium
    • Mycotoxins
    • Diversity
    • Molecular markers
    • Genetic variability

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