EVALUATION OF RESTRICTION ANALYSIS OF POLYMERASE CHAIN-REACTION (PCR)-AMPLIFIED RIBOSOMAL DNA FOR THE IDENTIFICATION OF FUSARIUM SPECIES

Eighty-seven strains belonging to 18 species of Fusarium were characte rized by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis of r ibosomal DNA (rDNA). The polymerase main reaction (PCR) was used to am plify a fragment including internal transcribed spacers and variable d omains of the 28S rDNA. Data from RFLP analysis of amplified rDNA usin g eight frequent-cutting restriction enzymes permitted the definition of 23 rDNA haplotypes. The combination of only four restriction enzyme s was sufficient to resolve the 23 haplotypes. Each haplotype could be assigned to a single Fusarium species, except for two haplotypes whic h were common to two or three closely related species. Polymorphism wa s found within some Fusarium species. Grouping among Fusarium strains derived from restriction analysis was, on the whole, in agreement with other molecular and morphological classification criteria. Therefore, the PCR/RFLP method described in this paper provides a simple and rap id procedure for the differentiation of Fusarium strains at the specie s level.