Development of Primers Specific for Detection of Litylenchus crenatae, the Causal Agent of Beech Leaf Disease, in Plant Tissue

Beech leaf disease (BLD), an emerging threat to American beech (Fagus grandifolia) in the northern United States and Canada, was recently confirmed to be caused by the nematode Litylenchus crenatae subsp. mccannii (hereafter L. crenatae). Consequently, there is a need for a rapid, sensitive, and accurate method for detecting L. crenatae for both diagnostic as well as control purposes. This research developed a new set of DNA primers that specifically amplify L. crenatae and allow for accurate detection of the nematode in plant tissue. These primers have also been used in quantitative PCR (qPCR) to determine relative differences in gene copy number between samples. This primer set provides an improved, effective tool for monitoring and detecting L. crenatae in temperate tree leaf tissue which is necessary to understand the spread of this emerging forest pest and to develop management strategies.