Strain-specific detection of introduced Beauveria bassiana in agricultural fields by use of sequence-characterized amplified region markers.

Field studies on the efficacy and persistence of an introduced strain of Beauveria bassiana for insect control require detection assays to differentiate the non-native strain from indigenous populations. In this study we developed strain-specific molecular markers based on polymerase chain reaction amplification of sequence-characterized amplified regions (SCAR) in combination with dilution plating on semi-selective medium to detect and estimate density of propagules of a commercial strain of B. bassiana (strain GHA) in field samples. Using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis, unique fragments that distinguished GHA from other strains of B. bassiana were obtained. Three amplicons, OPA-14(0.44), OPA-15(0.44), and OPB-9(0.67), generated with RAPD primers were cloned and sequenced and used as bases for designing SCAR primers OPA14 F/R(445), OPA15 F/R(441), and OPB9 F/R(677), respectively. All three SCAR primers were highly sensitive, capable of detecting 100pg B. bassiana GHA genomic DNA, and thus could be used to detect varying levels of the fungus in the field.