Detection of Spongospora subterranea in potato tuber lesions using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR)

Abstract

The ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) was sequenced from several collections of Spongospora subterranea from Europe, Peru, and Australasia. No sequence variation was detected between any of the Australasian or European collections with the exception of one from Inverness (Scotland) which was identical to the two Peruvian samples. PCR primers designed from the ITS sequence were used successfully to detect S. subterranea in DNA extracts from potato scab lesions.