title: Molecular identification of Tuber magnatum ectomycorrhizae in the field.
abstract: Tuber ectomycorrhizae in a Tuber magnatum "truffière", located in Central Italy, were studied using molecular methods. Specifically, RFLP-ITS analyses, ITS sequencing and specific probes hybridization were used to identify 335 Tuber-like ectomycorrhizal morphotypes. Molecular identification was possible even when distinct morphological characteristics were lacking. For the first time, T. magnatum ectomycorrhizae and other coexisting Tuber species collected in the field were analysed using molecular tools for unambiguous identification. Although the "truffière" under investigation yields good harvests of T. magnatum fruiting bodies, the percentage of T. magnatum ectomycorrhizae found was very low (less than 4.4% of the 335 root tips analysed), whereas the percentages of Tuber maculatum and Tuber rufum were considerably higher (48.9% and 19.0%, respectively).
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Chimica Biologica Giorgio Fornaini, Università degli Studi di Urbino, Carlo Bo, Via Saffi 2, 61029 Urbino (PU), Italy.
authors.forename: Luana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bertini
authors.forename: Ismaela
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zambonelli
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Amicucci
authors.forename: Achille
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sacchi
authors.forename: Matteo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cecchini
authors.forename: Gianluigi
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gregori
authors.forename: Vilberto
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Stocchi
mesh_terms: D001203:Ascomycota / Q000235:genetics*; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D021901:DNA, Intergenic / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D007558:Italy; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length
chemical_list: D004271:DNA, Fungal; D021901:DNA, Intergenic