DNA markers for identification of Pyrenophora tritici-repentis and detection of genetic diversity among its isolates.

In this study, specific primer pair DTR1-F and DTR1-R was designed for reliable PCR detection of Pyrenophora tritici-repentis in wheat leaf and seed samples and for its distinguishing from other pathogens, using standard agarose gel electrophoresis. Eight SSR primer pairs were also designed for assessment of genetic diversity in a group of 13 Slovak, 1 Czech and 10 Finnish isolates of P. tritici-repentis. Only five SSR primers showed polymorphism with an average of 4.2 bands and average diversity index 0.454 per primer. By use of 5 published RAPD primers, we found much higher polymorphism, with an average of 19 bands and an average diversity index 0.912 per primer. Dendrograms with Principal Component analysis based on SSR and RAPD data did not show association between genetic diversity of the isolates and their geographic origin.