Open AccessSelection of a set of specific primers for the identification of Tuber rufum : a truffle species with high genetic variability
Author(s) -
Iotti Mirco,
Amicucci Antonella,
Bonito Gregory,
Bonuso Enrico,
Stocchi Vilberto,
Zambonelli Alessandra
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-6968.2007.00963.x
Subject(s) - truffle , biology , amplicon , primer (cosmetics) , botany , multiplex polymerase chain reaction , phylogenetic tree , mycorrhiza , intraspecific competition , internal transcribed spacer , spore , polymerase chain reaction , genetics , gene , symbiosis , zoology , bacteria , chemistry , organic chemistry
Tuber rufum is a truffle widely distributed throughout Europe, which forms mycorrhizal associations with numerous species of broadleaf and coniferous trees. The possibility of T. rufum contamination in commercial truffle‐infected plants makes its detection important. To facilitate the identification of T. rufum from mycorrhiza and fruitbodies, species‐specific primers were designed and tested. To overcome the high intraspecific genetic variability within the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions of T. rufum , as demonstrated by phylogenetic analysis, two forward primers, Ru1f and Ru2f, located on the ITS1 region were designed to be used in concert with the reverse primer ITS4. Only T. rufum was amplified with this primer combination, while DNA of Tuber magnatum , Tuber brumale , Tuber maculatum , Tuber borchii , Tuber excavatum and Tuber melanosporum was not. These primers give a specific amplicon ranging between 566 and 572 bp and are able to discriminate between T. rufum , T. borchii and T. magnatum in multiplex PCR. In addition, T. rufum ‐specific amplicons were obtained from both spore suspensions and mycorrhiza by direct PCR. Tuber rufum mycorrhiza obtained in the greenhouse using mycelial inoculation techniques had morphological features similar to those of other species of Tuber , stressing the importance of molecular tools for their identification.