Skip to main content
ARS Home » Midwest Area » Peoria, Illinois » National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research » Mycotoxin Prevention and Applied Microbiology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #292267
Title: A multilocus database for the identification of Aspergillus and Penicillium species

Author
item Peterson, Stephen
item Labeda, David

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/14/2013
Publication Date: 8/14/2013
Citation: Peterson, S.W., Labeda, D.P. 2013. A multilocus database for the identification of Aspergillus and Penicillium species [abstract]. Mycological Society of America.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Identification of Aspergillus and Penicillium isolates using phenotypic methods is increasingly complex and difficult but genetic tools allow recognition and description of species formerly unrecognized or cryptic. We constructed a web-based taxonomic database using BIGSdb for the identification of Aspergillus and Penicillium species using DNA sequences from one or more of 7 genetic loci, including nuclear ITS, beta tubulin (BT2), calmodulin, minichromosome maintenance factor 7 (Mcm7), DNA dependent RNA polymerase (RPB1 and RPB2) and pre-rRNA-processing protein Tsr1. Nuclear ITS is the “barcode” locus for fungal identification, but sometimes fails to provide an unequivocal identification in the Trichocomaceae, thus the need for additional loci. Species designations are based on genealogical concordance analysis. Coverage of the species within Aspergillus is greater than 90%, but coverage with multilocus data is more limited for Penicillium species. The database will be carefully curated to reduce confusion caused by errors in strain identification or low quality data. The availability and use of this database will promote rapid and accurate identification of isolates from the Trichocomaceae.