Suleyman Akhan
Akdeniz University
Turkey
Title: Molecular identification of Crayfısh Plague Fungus (Aphanomyces astaci) in Turkish Crayfısh (Astacus leptodactylus) populations by PCR and its current status
Biography
Biography: Suleyman Akhan
Abstract
Aphanomyces astaci is an oomcyte that causes plague diseases in crayfish. Astacus leptodactylus is highly sensitive to crayfish plague disease. In the middle of the 1980s, Turkish crayfish stocks began to collapse due to crayfish plague disease and this plague disease have started to spread out all the countries in a short time. Today, those collapsed Turkish crayfish stocks are trying to recover back. In this study, we aimed to determine A. astaci in clinical samples by PCR, prevalence and distribution of crayfish plague in the main crayfish stocks in Turkey. For this purpose, crayfish samples were taken from 41 different water bodies in Turkey and transferred to the laboratory and gross examinations were performed to identify symptomatic individuals. Beside the previously used primers by former researchers, additionaly new primers were designed which was specific to the ITS region of A. astaci pathogen. PCR contitions were optimised by using total genomic DNA from clinical samples. The genotype A and B strains were used as positive controls. Accuracy and sensitivity of primers were validated in clinically symptomatic individual and control. Symptomatic individuals were encountered in all stations. The presence of the A. astaci pathogen in 34 water bodies was identified by PCR. In this scope, prevalence of crayfish plague which will lead to subsequent crayfish management and conservation programs of Turkey was determined. According to molecular diagnosis results, the prevalence rates were changed between 3.75% and 37.5% in 34 stations except 7 water body.