Identification of Fungi,Especially Stachybotrys Chartarum from Gypsum Boards,by Means of PCR and Sequencing of Ribosomal DNA

Abstract

Gypsum boards infested by Stachybotrys chartarum are often found in built-in constructions. A PCR-based analysis method has been developed for S. chartarum using specific primers based on the Tri5 gene. Another method for detecting fungi is by species identification via sequencing of ribosomal DNA. Sequencing of ITS (Internal Transcribed Spacer) and the 5.8 s rDNA is straightforward and provides a basis for species identification. The sequences were searched for by means of BLAST (Basic Local Alignment Search Tool) in the GenBank. The PCR technique will be an important step in the future both toward detecting fungal infestations at an early stage because of the ability to detect specifically the infestation without time-consuming cultivation in the laboratory and allowing reliable species identification based on sequences obtained from databases.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

1 Bruns TD, White TJ, Taylor JW: Fungal molecular systematics . Ann Review Ecology Systematics 1991; 22: 525-564 .

2 Högberg N, Stenlid J: Population genetics of Fomitopsis rosea - a wood-decay fungus of the old-growth European taiga . Mol Ecology 1999; 8: 703-710 .

3 Mewes HW, Albermann K, Frishman D, Gleissner A, Hani J, Heumann K: Overview of the yeast genome . Nature 1997; 387: 7-8 , suppl S.

4 Nelson MA, Kang S, Braun EL, Crawford ME, Dolan PL, Leonard PM, Mitchell J: Expressed sequences from conidial, mycelial and sexual stages of Neurospora crassa . Fungal Gen Biol 1997; 21: 348-363 .

5 Land CJ, Must A: Detection and identification of Stachybotrys chartarum from gypsum boards by the polymerase chain reaction . Indoor Air '99 1999; 4: 939-941 .