title: DNA-Based Characterization and Identification of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Species.
abstract: Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are obligate symbionts of most land plants. They have great ecological and economic importance as they can improve plant nutrition, plant water supply, soil structure, and plant resistance to pathogens. We describe two approaches for the DNA-based characterization and identification of AMF, which both can be used for single fungal spores, soil, or roots samples and resolve closely related AMF species: (a) Sanger sequencing of a 1.5 kb extended rDNA-barcode from clone libraries, e.g., to characterize AMF isolates, and (b) high throughput 454 GS-FLX+ pyrosequencing of a 0.8 kb rDNA fragment, e.g., for in-field monitoring.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Genetics, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Grosshaderner Str. 4, 82152, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany.
authors.forename: Carolina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Senés-Guerrero
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Genetics, SYMPLANTA GmbH and Co. KG, Rolf-Pinegger-Str. 8, 80689, Munich, Germany. schuessler@symplanta.com.
authors.forename: Arthur
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schüßler
mesh_terms: D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000235:genetics; D059014:High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing; D038821:Mycorrhizae / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000382:microbiology*; D010944:Plants / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA / Q000379:methods*; D013172:Spores, Fungal / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D004271:DNA, Fungal
keywords: 454 GS-FLX+ pyrosequencing; Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF); DNA-based species identification; Evolutionary placement algorithm (EPA); Extended DNA barcoding; Nuclear rDNA; Phylogenetics