Abstract
Specifically primed polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis was carried out for the detection and identification of decay fungi. Internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions of nuclear ribosomal DNA (rDNA) of Serpula lacrymans and Coniophora puteana were amplified. DNA templates was extracted from the mixture of freeze-dried mycelia and coniferous heartwood powders (Tsuga het-erophylla, Picea jezoensis, Abies sachalinensis, Larix leptolepis), and from the pieces of experi-mentally decayed wood (Abies sachalinensis). In this study, the mycelium and wood specimen from the damaged sill plate were also analyzed. Except for the mixture of Larix leptolepis, target regions were successfully amplified by PCR. Furthermore, PCR allowed detection of Coniophora puteana in the damaged sill plate. The results suggest that PCR analysis contributes to the accu-rate detection and identification of the fungi in timber and provides the useful information about the biological degradation of the wood.
