PCR-based methods were developed for the detection and quantification of the potato pathogen Synchytrium endobioticum in soil extracts and in planta. PCR primers based on the internal transcribed
spacer region of the multi-copy gene rDNA were tested for specificity sensitivity and reproducibility
in conventiona and real-time PCR assays Soil extraction procedures compared included the Hendrickx
centrifugation (HC) procedure nested wet sieving (NWS) and a method used by the Plant t Protection DNA from other potato pathogens, other plant t pathogens, and related species . Standard cell disruption and DNA extraction and purification methods were optimized for amplificationof S. endobioticum DNA from resting sporangia. DNA was successfully amplified from a single sporangium and equivalent DNA preparations from soil extracts. Low levels of target DNA in water r did not amplify, possibly due to DNA