Molecular characterization of Aspergillus section Flavi isolates collected from peanut fields in Argentina using AFLPs

BARROS, GERMÁN; CHIOTTA, MARÍA LAURA; REYNOSO, MARÍA; TORRES, ADRIANA; CHULZE, SOFÍA

JOURNAL OF APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY

Blackwell, Synergy

Lugar: Framlington Place (UK); Año: 2007 vol. 103 p. 900 - 909

1364-5072

ABSTRACT Aims: The objectives of this study were: i) to evaluate genetic relatedness among Aspergillus section Flavi strains isolated from soil and peanut seeds in Argentina; ii) to determine if AFLP molecular markers could be useful to identify isolates up to species level, and to correlate these markers with isolates toxigenic potentials and/or VCG affiliations. Methods and Results: Amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLPs) analysis was applied to compare 82 isolates of Aspergillus section Flavi. Cluster analysis showed a clear separation of A. flavus and A. parasiticus and comparison of fingerprints revealed several specific markers for each group of isolates. AFLP analysis indicates that no genotypical differences can be established between aflatoxigenic and non-aflatoxigenic producers in both species analyzed. Also candidate AFLP markers associated with a particular VCG were not found. Conclusions: There was a concordance between morphological identification and separation up to species level using molecular markers. The findings of specific bands for Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus may be useful for the design of specific PCR primers in order to differentiate these species and detect them in food. Significance and Impact of the Study: The present study provides new data on molecular characterization of Aspergillus section Flavi in Argentina.