Meng Guang Tao, Li-Chan Eunice C Y
Faculty of Land and Food Systems, The University of British Columbia, Food Nutrition & Health Building, 2205 East Mall, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z4.
J Agric Food Chem. 2007 May 2;55(9):3298-303. doi: 10.1021/jf062927+. Epub 2007 Apr 10.
Myoliquefaction of Pacific hake has been attributed to proteolytic action associated with parasitic infection. Among the two infecting species of Kudoa, Kudoa paniformis and Kudoa thyrsites, the former is reported to be more virulent for the "soft flesh" phenomenon in Pacific hake. The objective of this research was to develop a sensitive and specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay to detect infection of hake by K. paniformis. Primers based on specific regions ( approximately 1562 bp) of the small subunit ribosomal DNA of K. paniformis successfully amplified the target DNA segments from both spore and muscle extracted DNA templates. DNA sequencing confirmed the veracity of this method to distinguish parasitic infection by K. paniformis versus K. thyrsites. The established PCR method was applied to investigate Kudoa infection in 44 Pacific hake samples using DNA extracted from muscle and/or spores, and the results were compared to infection evaluated by microscopic examination of extracted spores.
