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Assemblages of ericoid mycorrhizal and other root‐associated fungi from Epacris pulchella (Ericaceae) as determined by culturing and direct DNA extraction from roots
Author(s) -
Bougoure Damian S.,
Cairney John W. G.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
environmental microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.954
H-Index - 188
eISSN - 1462-2920
pISSN - 1462-2912
DOI - 10.1111/j.1462-2920.2005.00755.x
Subject(s) - biology , ericaceae , botany , restriction fragment length polymorphism , mycorrhiza , symbiosis , temperature gradient gel electrophoresis , internal transcribed spacer , polymerase chain reaction , genetics , bacteria , gene , ribosomal rna , 16s ribosomal rna
Summary Ericoid mycorrhizal fungal endophytes form mycorrhizal associations with Ericaceae plant taxa and are regarded as essential to the ecological fitness of the plants in extremely nutrient‐poor soils worldwide. We isolated fungi from roots of Epacris pulchella (Ericaceae) in a south‐eastern Australian sclerophyll forest and compared rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) and sequences for the cultured isolate assemblage with fungi identified in DNA extracted directly from the same root systems by cloning or denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). The most abundant RFLP types in the cultured isolate assemblage were identified as putative ericoid mycorrhizal ascomycete endophytes, and these also represented the most abundant RFLP types in the cloned assemblage and the most intense bands in DGGE profiles. Each method identified unique taxa, notably putative basidiomycetes in the DNA extracted directly from E. pulchella roots. However, the relative abundance of these was low.