AUTHOR=Alič Špela , Bačnik Katarina , Dreo Tanja 

TITLE=Retrospective survey of Dickeya fangzhongdai using a novel validated real-time PCR assay

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=14

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2023.1249955

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2023.1249955

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<p><italic>Dickeya fangzhongdai</italic>, an aggressive plant pathogen, causes symptoms on a variety of crops and ornamental plants including bleeding canker of Asian pear trees. Historical findings stress the need for a specific detection tool for <italic>D. fangzhongdai</italic> to prevent overlooking the pathogen or assigning it to general <italic>Dickeya</italic> spp. Therefore, a qualitative real-time PCR for specific detection of <italic>D. fangzhongdai</italic> has been developed and validated. The developed assay shows selectivity of 100%, diagnostic sensitivity of 76% and limit of detection with 95% confidence interval in plant matrices ranging from 311 to 2,275 cells/mL of plant extracts. The assay was successfully used in a retrospective survey of selected host plants of relevance to Europe and environmental niches relevant to <italic>D. fangzhongdai</italic>. Samples of potato tubers and plants, plants from the <italic>Malinae</italic> subtribe (apple, pear, quince, and Asian pear tree) and fresh surface water from Slovenia were analyzed. <italic>D. fangzhongdai</italic> was not detected in any plant samples, however, 12% of surface water samples were found to be positive.</p>