RAPD patterns in three Argentine Coprotus species: a test case

ARACELI MARCELA RAMOS; DIANA ANA DOKMETZIAN; MARÍA ESTHER RANALLI; LAURA INES FERREYRA

MYCOTAXON

Lugar: ITHACA; Año: 2008 vol. 103 p. 9 - 19

0093-4666

The genus Coprotus consists of coprophilous fungi in the Pyronemataceae. 44 monosporic strains were morphologically identified as Coprotus lacteus, C. niveus, and C. sexdecimsporus. Using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) to analyse two C. lacteus, five C. niveus, and two C. sexdecimsporus geographical groups, the authors obtained diagnostic bands for species recognition, estimated polymorphism levels within species, analysed inter-species phenetic relationships, and compared the findings from the RAPD study to those from a previous isozyme study. The phenogram obtained from Nei´s genetic distances matrix was similar to the one previously obtained by isozyme markers. Both matrices show strains grouping into three defined clusters, each representing one of the three species analysed. The difference between the similarity levels among species and those observed in the isozyme report are compared and discussed. The results of this study support the use of RAPD markers as a reliable tool comparable to traditional morphological and isozyme methods.