Detection of aflatoxinogenic fungi in figs by a PCR reaction

A PCR reaction was used to detect aflatoxinogenic Aspergillus flavus strains in contaminated figs. The reaction records the presence of three aflatoxin biosynthesis genes, namely the norsolorinic acid reductase (nor-1), versicolorin A dehydrogenase (ver-1) and sterigmatocystin-o-methyltransferase: (omt-A). The reaction gave a triplet pattern in the presence of DNA from A. flavus isolated from pure cultures. The reaction gave the same PCR products when pure fungal DNA was mixed with pure DNA isolated from figs, but the sensitivity was reduced by a factor of 10. The same set of bands was observed when isolated DNA from infected figs was used as template DNA but no signal was visible when DNA from uninfected figs was used as template. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.