, 2004; Somma et al., 2010). Variations in the produced toxin levels in the literature can be explained by differences in extraction or culturing of the isolates (Vogelgsang et al.,

2008a; ABT-888 cost Kokkonen et al., 2010; Fanelli et al., 2012). Sequenced fragments of eight F. poae isolates were very homologous (99–100%) and showed 81% homology with the tri7 gene (E-value 1e−57) of Fusarium graminearum 88-1. Several studies have been carried out to detect natural contamination of cereals and grain-based products with mycotoxins producing species of the FHB complex using PCR assays. Lee et al. (2001) identified genetic differences between the trichothecene biosynthetic pathways of the NIV and DON chemotypes AZD0530 and developed a rapid method for Gibberella zeae genotype identification based on PCR analysis. Ward et al. (2002) designed specific primers based on the tri12 gene sequences to identify NIV-producing F. graminearum isolates. Chandler et al. (2003) developed a number of PCR assays to amplify tri7 and tri13 sequences to characterize isolates of F. gramineraum, F. culmorum and F. cerealis in terms of their NIV and DON potential production. Quarta et al. (2005) were able to develop specific primers

targeting the tri3 and tri7 genes to identify 3A-DON, 15A-DON and NIV-F. culmorum producers based on the sequences of Fusarium graminearum described by Lee et al. (2001) and Ward et al. (2002). In our study, the PCR program was adjusted

to different annealing temperatures and the number of cycles was reduced to obtain a rapid and reliable technique. The selected primers were evaluated on genomic DNA extracted from Flavopiridol (Alvocidib) 125 F. poae isolates from 13 different countries and eight different hosts, plus other Fusarium species tested (see ‘Materials and methods’ section). The F. poae isolates showed the presence of the 296-bp partial tri7 DNA fragment (Fig. 1), whereas no product was amplified from other Fusarium species. In our cereal sample analyses, Fusarium poae was the species with higher isolation frequency (15 isolates) in all seed samples analysed, followed by F. graminearum (seven), F. oxysporum (four), F. chlamydosporum (three), F. acuminatum (one), F. equiseti (one) and F. sporotrichioides (one). All of these isolates were tested with the new primer set for potential NIV-F. poae producers and only F. poae isolates amplified the expected fragment. Moreover, DNA obtained from seed samples amplified the product of 296 bp according to the size of our NIV-F. poae-specific PCR. This work was supported by FONCYT-SECYT PRH32-PICT 2008/110 and PIP 167 CONICET. “
“λ Red recombineering is a DNA cloning and engineering technique involving recombination between homologous regions. The homologous recombination is mediated by the λ Red genes consisting of redα, redβ and gam.