Detection of post-harvest pathogens by loop-mediated isothermal amplification: a review

Postharvest losses, which occur between harvest and consumption of agricultural commodities, are major causes of food waste. Minimizing food loss helps provide nutritious food for animals and humans, and alleviate adverse environmental effects on food production. These losses are often related to the presence of postharvest pathogens, including fungi and bacteria, which typically start by infecting crops in the field as well as during postharvest chain. Control of these pathogens relies on development of tools that ensure their early and accurate detection. Among these is loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), a molecular method for pathogen detection. LAMP characteristics of rapidity, specificity and simplicity have encouraged development of a number of LAMP assays for detection of postharvest pathogens. Each LAMP assay allows to detect a specific genetic region of the target microorganism, which can be directly related to mycotoxin production, fungicide resistance and phytotoxicity. The LAMP amplicons are rapidly visualized, either at a specific time-point, or in real-time by taking measurements throughout reaction, thereby necessitating less sophisticated facilities than those needed for PCR assays. In addition, many studies have developed simple protocols for the direct detection of pathogens on fresh produce. This paper explains the LAMP reaction, and its importance for postharvest detection of fungi and bacteria. Previous studies that have developed LAMP assays are also discussed

Occurrence and Biogeography of Mediterranean Cold-Water Corals

The term cold-water coral sensu lato groups taxa with a more or less pronounced frame-building ability (e.g. Lophelia pertusa and Madrepora oculata) with forestforming organisms both on hard (e.g. Leiopathes glaberrima, Parantipathes larix, Callogorgia verticillata and Viminella flagellum) and soft bottoms (e.g. Isidella elongata, Funiculina quadrangularis and Kophobelemnon stelliferum). Cold-water coral species and their occurrence in the Mediterranean Sea are here reviewed and discussed from a biogeographic point of view, considering geographical areas of occurrence and bathymetric distribution. The present-day occurrence of living cold-water corals is then compared to the main deep currents of the Mediterranean Sea. Due to the proper interaction between topography and a combination of cold, oxygenated and trophic-carrying water masses (i.e. Levantine Intermediate Water, deep waters and cascading effects), cold-water coral communities develop in a mosaic-like situation along the main paths that such water masses follow within the basin. Finally, knowledge gaps and future perspectives in the study of cold-water coral occurrence, distribution and biogeography are highlighted. The currently still scarce knowledge on the Mediterranean deep-sea and on the basin-scale distribution of the most important coldwater corals species represents crucial biogeographical information. This gives fundamental indications on the location of the Mediterranean vulnerable deep marine ecosystems for future management strategies