Molecular biological detection of anaerobic gut fungi (Neocallimastigales) from landfill sites.
Oligonucleotide primers were designed for the 18S rRNA genes of members of the Neocallimastigales and used in a nested PCR protocol to amplify 787-bp fragments of DNA from landfill site samples. The specificities of the primers were confirmed by phylogenetic analysis of the environmental clone sequences, and this method can therefore now be used to investigate the ecology of the obligately anaerobic fungi. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of the occurrence of members of the Neocallimastigales outside the mammalian gut, and their distribution across the landfill samples examined here suggests that they are actively involved in cellulose degradation.
Lockhart
Robert J
RJ
School of Biological Sciences, Biosciences Building, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZB, United Kingdom.
Van Dyke
Michele I
MI
Beadle
Ian R
IR
Humphreys
Paul
P
McCarthy
Alan J
AJ
D000693:Anaerobiosis; D000818:Animals; D008411:Chytridiomycota / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development*; D017931:DNA Primers; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000032:analysis; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000032:analysis; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000382:microbiology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D012037:Refuse Disposal / Q000379:methods*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
D017931:DNA Primers; D004271:DNA, Fungal; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S