Molecular Profiling of Selected Aspergillus Species Parasitizing Stored Wheat Seeds in the Silos of Tikrit City, Iraq

Abstract

This study aimed to isolate and identify fungal species.AspergillusFrom wheat seeds stored in silos in Tikrit city, Salah al-Din Governorate, to assess the risks of fungal contamination on the safety of stored crops. Samples were collected from two local wheat seed varieties (with and without sorghum), and fungi were isolated from them using culture techniques on medium.PDA. Fungal isolates were identified based on morphological characteristics (colony color, texture, conidiophore and conidia shape), in addition to molecular identification using DNA sequencing of the ITS region of rRNA, after amplification using primers ITS1 and ITS4. BLAST analysis results showed a high match between the local isolates and the isolates registered in the GenBank database, where the following accession numbers were registered: A. fumigatus (PV363322), A. terreus (PV363323), A.

niger (PV363324), and A. flavus (PV363325). Genetic analysis results also showed relative differences among some isolates, indicating potential genetic diversity within the local environment. These results demonstrate that stored wheat seeds are susceptible to contamination by fungal species known to produce dangerous mycotoxins, posing an environmental and health threat. Together, the results of molecular and phenotypic identification confirm the accuracy of isolate classification and its role in assessing fungal risks in storage silos.