Comparison of quantitative real-time PCR, chitin and ergosterol assays for monitoring colonization of Trametes versicolor in birch wood

Abstract

AbstractThis paper describes the use of quantitative real-time PCR for monitoring colonization of birch wood (Betula pubescens) by the white-rot fungusTrametes versicolorin an EN113 decay experiment. The wood samples were harvested after 4, 8, 12, 16 and 20 weeks of incubation. The mass loss was in the range of 4–40%. Chitin and ergosterol assays were conducted for comparison. Second-order polynomial fits of the mass loss of decayed wood versus chitin, ergosterol and DNA gave correlations (r2) of 0.87, 0.61 and 0.84, respectively. Compared to the other two assays employed, real-time PCR data correlated best with the relative mass loss of decayed samples 4–8 weeks after inoculation, while the saturation and decline of DNA-based estimates for fungal colonization 16–20 weeks after inoculation indicated that the DNA assay is not suited for quantification purposes in the late stages of decay. The impact of conversion factors, extraction efficiency, inhibitory compounds and background levels in relation to the three detection assays used is discussed.