Development of a Rapid Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification Assay for the Detection of Dothistroma septosporum

Abstract

A Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) assay was developed for the detection of the pine pathogen Dothistroma septosporum (G. Dorog.) M. Morelet. The specificity of the LAMP assay was tested using a selection of pine needle fungi, including Dothistroma pini Hulbary, and Lecanosticta acicola (Thüm.) Syd.; only D. septosporum DNA was amplified by the test. In terms of sensitivity, the assay was able to detect as little as 1 pg of total D. septosporum DNA. This assay enables DNA extracted from diseased host needles to be rapidly tested for the presence of D. septosporum using relatively simple to operate equipment away from a fully equipped molecular biology laboratory.