title: Mycorrhizal diversity and specificity in Lecanorchis (Orchidaceae).
abstract: Lecanorchis is a nonphotosynthetic plant genus in Vanilloideae, Orchidaceae. Because of the distribution of many Lecanorchis taxa in various climate conditions, we hypothesized that mycorrhizal diversity and specificity are different among the different taxa of Lecanorchis. In the present study, identities of mycorrhizal fungi were examined for 90 individuals of 10 Lecanorchis taxa at 26 sites from Niigata to Okinawa Prefectures in Japan. Phylogenetic analyses of Lecanorchis taxa based on the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of the nuclear ribosomal RNA gene (rDNA) divided the examined Lecanorchis taxa into three groups, groups A, B, and C. ITS rDNA sequences suggested that fungi associating with Lecanorchis were ectomycorrhiza-forming fungi in Lactarius, Russula, Atheliaceae, and Sebacina, with Lactarius and Russula dominant. Our results suggested some degree of mycorrhizal specialization among Lecanorchis taxa. Interestingly, the Lecanorchis group C had some specific relationships with Lactarius, whereas less specificity was found in the relationships with Russula. However, observed specificity results may be biased by geographic opportunity, and we suggest further research to assess whether Lecanorchis species are limited to the associations we observed.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Agriculture, Tottori University, 4-101 Koyama-Minami, Tottori 680-8553, Japan.
authors.forename: Masanari
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Okayama
authors.forename: Masahide
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamato
authors.forename: Takahiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yagame
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Iwase
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D001499:Bayes Theorem; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000235:genetics; D018744:DNA, Plant / Q000235:genetics; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D030541:Databases, Genetic; D020459:Genes, rRNA; D014644:Genetic Variation; D007564:Japan; D038821:Mycorrhizae / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D029595:Orchidaceae / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000382:microbiology*; D010802:Phylogeny; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology; D018547:Plant Stems / Q000235:genetics; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013045:Species Specificity; D013559:Symbiosis
chemical_list: D004271:DNA, Fungal; D018744:DNA, Plant; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer