Multiplex PCR assay for simultaneous detection of six major bacterial pathogens of rice.

AIMS: The aim of this study was to develop a multiplex PCR (mPCR) assay for rapid, sensitive and simultaneous detection of six important rice pathogens: Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae, X. oryzae pv. oryzicola, Pseudomonas fuscovaginae, Burkholderia glumae, Burkholderia gladioli and Acidovorax avenae subsp. avenae.

METHODS AND RESULTS: Specific primers were designed through a bioinformatics pipeline. Sensitivity of detection was established using both traditional PCR and quantitative real-time PCR on isolated DNA and on bacterial cells both in vitro and in simulated diseased seeds and the parameters were optimized for an mPCR assay. A total of 150 bacterial strains were tested for specificity. The mPCR assay accurately predicted the presence of pathogens among 44 symptomatic and asymptomatic rice seed, sheath and leaf samples.

CONCLUSIONS: This study confirmed that this mPCR assay is a rapid, reliable and simple tool for the simultaneous detection of six important rice bacterial pathogens.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: This study is the first report of a method allowing simultaneous detection of six major rice pathogens. The ability to use crude extracts from plants without bacterial isolation or DNA extraction enhances the value of this mPCR technology for rapid detection and aetiological/epidemiological studies.