Using rpoB (RNA polymerase β subunit) as the reference gene, the RT-qPCR system was optimized. Correlations between the transcription level of functional genes and biocontrol efficacy were validated for multiple field-isolated Bacillus strains.
Key Findings:
A highly specific and sensitive molecular detection workflow was built for rapid evaluation of Bacillus biocontrol activity.
Transcript abundance of functional marker genes can directly predict the suppressive capacity of strains against banana Fusarium wilt.
Compared with conventional pot-based disease assays, the detection cycle is shortened by more than 70%, suitable for high-throughput screening of large batches of strains.