Development of a PCR assay to detect the potential production of nivalenol in F usarium poae

F usarium species can produce mycotoxins, which can contaminate cereal‐based food producing adverse effects for human and animal health. In recent years, the importance of F usarium poae has increased within the F usarium head blight complex. F usarium poae is known to produce trichothecenes, especially nivalenol, a potent mycotoxin able to cause a variety of toxic effects. In this study, a specific primer pair was designed based on the tri7 gene to detect potential nivalenol‐producing F . poae isolates. A total of 125 F . poae, four F . cerealis , two F . culmorum , one F . langsethiae , one F . sporotrichioides and seven F . graminearum , plus F . austroamericanum , F . meridionale , F . graminearum sensu stricto and F . cortaderiae from the NRRL collection were analysed, and only F . poae isolates gave a positive result for the presence of a 296‐bp partial tri7 DNA fragment. Moreover, the primer set was tested from cereal seed samples where F . poae and other F usarium species with a negative result for the specific reaction ( F . graminearum , F . oxysporum , F . chlamydosporum , F . sporotrichioides , F . equiseti and F . acuminatum ) were isolated, and the expected fragment was amplified. We developed a rapid and reliable PCR assay to detect potential nivalenol‐producing F . poae isolates.