Genetic variability in the species Rhizopus stolonifer, assessed by random amplified polymorphic DNA analysis.
Rhizopus stolonifer is an important post-harvest pathogenic fungus. Recent taxonomic findings based on morphological and growth characteristics led to a dramatic reduction in the number of accepted species within the genus. The aim of this study was to examine this situation with molecular markers. Twenty-nine R. stolonifer strains isolated from various locations and substrates were characterized by random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis. The numerical analysis of the RAPD data revealed four main clusters with extremely high dissimilarity values, but only low or moderate variability was observed within these groups. These results suggest a high genetic heterogeneity in the case of R. stolonifer: isolates of R. stolonifer var. stolonifer, R. stolonifer var. reflexus and R. niveus displayed species-level genetic distances, which gives rise to considerations that they might be separate species.
Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Szeged, P.O. Box 533, H-6701 Szeged, Hungary.
Csaba
C
Vágvölgyi
Henrietta
H
Heinrich
Klára
K
Acs
Tamás
T
Papp
D001483:Base Sequence; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000235:genetics*; D014644:Genetic Variation; D010641:Phenotype; D019105:Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA Technique; D012233:Rhizopus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development; D013045:Species Specificity
D017931:DNA Primers; D004271:DNA, Fungal