Research progress on nucleic acid amplification-based detection technologies for phytopathogenic fungi

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Science
• Molecular Biology
• Plant Pathology

Background:

• Phytopathogenic fungi cause significant global crop losses, exceeding 30% annually.
• Accurate identification of fungal pathogens is critical for effective disease management and prevention.
• Molecular detection methods offer rapid and sensitive tools for pathogen identification.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review advancements in nucleic acid-based detection techniques for phytopathogenic fungi.
• To evaluate the strengths, limitations, and applicability of various molecular diagnostic platforms.
• To highlight the role of these technologies in precision agriculture and disease management.

Main Methods:

• Review of thermal cycling-based methods (PCR, qPCR, ddPCR).
• Examination of isothermal amplification platforms (LAMP, RPA).
• Analysis of CRISPR/Cas-assisted assays combined with isothermal amplification (RPA-CRISPR, LAMP-CRISPR).

Main Results:

• Nucleic acid amplification technologies provide rapid and sensitive detection of fungal pathogens.
• Isothermal amplification and CRISPR/Cas platforms enable field-deployable diagnostics with minimal instrumentation.
• Integrated workflows facilitate early disease diagnosis and precision management strategies.

Conclusions:

• Molecular detection technologies are crucial for combating agricultural losses due to fungal diseases.
• Emerging technologies like isothermal amplification and CRISPR/Cas offer promising solutions for on-site diagnostics.
• These advancements support integrated strategies for early detection and precise management of plant fungal diseases.