Targeting a polyketide synthase gene for Aspergillus carbonarius quantification and ochratoxin A assessment in grapes using real-time PCR

Aspergillus carbonarius is an ochratoxin producing fungus that has been considered to be responsible of the ochratoxin A (OTA) contamination in grapes and wine. In order to monitor and quantify A. carbonarius, a specific primer pair Ac12RL_OTAF/Ac12RL_OTAR has been designed from the acyltransferase (AT) domain of the polyketide synthase sequence Ac12RL3 to amplify 141 bp PCR product. Among the mycotoxigenic fungi tested, only A. carbonarius gave a positive result. This specific primer pair was also successfully employed in real-time PCR conjugated with SYBR® Green I dye for the direct quantification of this fungus in grape samples. A positive correlation (R2 = 0.81) was found between A. carbonarius DNA content and OTA concentration in 72 grape samples, allowing for the estimation of the potential risk from OTA contamination. Consequently, this work offers a quick alternative to conventional methods of OTA quantification and mycological detection and quantification of A. carbonarius in grapes.