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. 2007;59:129–145. doi: 10.3114/sim.2007.59.13

Table 6.

Molecular tools applied for identification of species in Aspergillus section Nigri.

Method used Target region Reference Comments
RFLP pelA, pelB, pki Kusters-van Someren et al. 1991 A. niger and A. tubingensis could be distinguished
RFLP rDNA (SmaI) Kusters-van Someren et al. 1991, Varga et al. 2000 A. niger, A. tubingensis, A. brasiliensis, A. ellipticus, A. heteromorphus, A. japonicus and A. carbonarius could be distinguished
RFLP mtDNA (HaeIII/Bg/II) Varga et al. 1993, 1994, Hamari et al. 1997 Could be used to distinguish A. niger and A. brasiliensis from A. tubingensis, and A. japonicus from A. aculeatus; several intraspecific mtDNA types identified
RFLP pelA, pki, rDNA Parenicova et al. 2001, de Vries et al. 2005 Could distinguish most species including A. aculeatus, A. japonicus and A. vadensis
PCR-RFLP ITS(RsaI) Accensi et al. 1999, 2001, Medina et al. 2005, Bau et al. 2005 N and T types distinguished among species of the A. niger aggregate; pattern T is shared by A. tubingensis, A. foetidus, A. vadensis, A. piperis and A. costaricaensis isolates, while all other species exhibit pattern N
PCR-RFLP ITS (RsaI, HhaI, N/aIII) Martinez-Culebras & Ramon 2007 Could distinguish between A. niger, A. tubingensis, A. carbonarius and A. aculeatus isolates
PCR-RFLP ITS (RsaI), IGS (HinfI), β-tubulin (RsaI) Zanzotto et al. 2006 Could distinguish between potential OTA-producing and non-producing isolates of the A. niger aggregate (ie. between A. niger and A. tubingensis)
AFLP Perrone et al. 2006a, 2006b All known species could be distinguished
PCR-SSCP calmodulin Susca et al. 2007b 11 species including A. brasiliensis, A. niger, A. tubingensis, A. foetidus, A. aculeatus, A. uvarum, A. japonicus, A. ellipticus, A. heteromorphus, A. carbonarius and A. ibericus could be distinguished
OLISA calmodulin Bufflier et al. 2007 A. carbonarius, A. ibericus and A. japonicus/A. aculeatus could be distinguished.
Sequence analysis ITS Varga et al. 2007 Several species have identical ITS sequences (eg. A. niger and A. lacticoffeatus; A. tubingensis, A. foetidus, A. vadensis and A. piperis; A. carbonarius and A. sclerotioniger; A. japonicus, A. aculeatus and A. uvarum)
Sequence analysis Mitochondrial cytochrome b Yokoyama et al. 2001 A. japonicus/A. aculeatus, A. niger, A. tubingensis, A. carbonarius and A. ellipticus could be distinguished
Sequence analysis β-tubulin Samson et al. 2004, Varga et al. 2007 all except one species (A. lacticoffeatus) could be distinguished
Sequence analysis Calmodulin Varga et al. 2007 All species could be distinguished
Sequence analysis Cytochrome oxidase I Klich et al. 2007 A. niger and A. tubingensis could not be distinguished; not appropriate to be used for species identification in black aspergilli
Sequence analysis IGS Unpublished data Too variable for species identification
PCR with species-specific primers ITS Gonzales-Salgado et al. 2005 Species-specific detection of A. niger, A. tubingensis, A. heteromorphus, A. ellipticus and A. japonicus
PCR with species-specific primers calmodulin Susca et al. 2007a Species-specific detection of A. carbonarius and A. niger
PCR with species-specific primers RAPD fragment Fungaro et al. 2004 Species-specific detection of A. carbonarius
PCR with species-specific primers calmodulin Perrone et al. 2004 Species-specific detection of A. carbonarius and A. japonicus
PCR with species-specific primers ITS Haugland and Vesper 2002 Species-specific detection of A. carbonarius and A. niger
PCR with species-specific primers AFLP marker Schmidt et al. 2004 Species-specific detection of A. carbonarius
PCR with species-specific primers PKS Lebrihi et al. 2003 Species-specific detection of OTA producing A. carbonarius isolates
PCR with species-specific primers PKS Dobson & O”Callagfhan 2004 Species-specific detection of OTA producing A. carbonarius and A. niger isolates
Real time PCR ITS Haugland et al. 2004 Species-specific detection of A. carbonarius and A. niger
Real time PCR calmodulin Mule et al. 2006 Species-specific detection of A. carbonarius
Real time PCR AT domain of the PKS gene Atoui et al. 2007 Species-specific detection of A. carbonarius