Assessment of soil microbial community structure by use of taxon-specific quantitative PCR assays.
Here we describe a quantitative PCR-based approach to estimating the relative abundances of major taxonomic groups of bacteria and fungi in soil. Primers were thoroughly tested for specificity, and the method was applied to three distinct soils. The technique provides a rapid and robust index of microbial community structure.
Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA. fierer@lifesci.ucsb.edu
Noah
N
Fierer
Jason A
JA
Jackson
Rytas
R
Vilgalys
Robert B
RB
Jackson
D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D017931:DNA Primers; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000032:analysis; D017753:Ecosystem; D005658:Fungi / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012988:Soil Microbiology; D013045:Species Specificity
D017931:DNA Primers; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004271:DNA, Fungal