Re-classification of previously identified toxigenic Fusarium and Gibberella strains based on PCR detection using species-specific primers

Abstract

  According to the current Fusarium taxonomy, F. asiaticum and F. graminearum sensu stricto are known to cause scabby disease in Japanese wheat and barley. In this study, the previously identified F. roseum KU-117 and eight Gibberella zeae strains were re-classified based on PCR detection using species-specific primers. As a result, the strain KU-117 was identified as F. asiaticum. Of the G. zeae strains, three strains isolated from Aomori were identified as F. graminearum sensu stricto, but the remaining five strains derived from Iwate, Tokyo, Kumamoto, and Nagasaki belonged to F. asiaticum. The RAPD patterns of the G. zeae strains tested showed low genetic diversity. The results obtained here reaffirmed that F. asiaticum and F. graminearum sensu stricto are distributed regionally in Japanese crop fields.