Detection and quantification of the coral pathogen Vibrio coralliilyticus by real-time PCR with TaqMan fluorescent probes.

A real-time quantitative PCR-based detection assay targeting the dnaJ gene (encoding heat shock protein 40) of the coral pathogen Vibrio coralliilyticus was developed. The assay is sensitive, detecting as little as 1 CFU per ml in seawater and 10(4) CFU per cm(2) of coral tissue. Moreover, inhibition by DNA and cells derived from bacteria other than V. coralliilyticus was minimal. This assay represents a novel approach to coral disease diagnosis that will advance the field of coral disease research.