Alteration of Ectomycorrhizal Fungus Community Structure: A DNA Fingerprinting Approach

本研究的目的是利用聚合酶链式反应扩增DNA结合碱基测序来鉴定竞争白松幼苗根系定殖点的外生菌根真菌。目前，只有两到三种外生菌根真菌可以根据外生菌根形态进行鉴定，因为这些真菌的分类是基于繁殖结构的特征，例如蘑菇、松露。如果要确定真菌在主要生态系统过程中的重要性，例如分解、树木的养分吸收、病原真菌对群落组成的改变等，就需要一种可靠的手段来识别真菌与外生菌根和菌丝。尽管要研究的真菌是该地区原生的，不是转基因的，但将已知的真菌引入土壤并通过DNA指纹验证同一真菌的回收的结果将直接适用于引入转基因微生物的实验。

The objectives of the proposed research is to use polymerase chain reaction amplification of DNA (pcr) in conjunction with base sequencing to identify ectomycorrhizal fungi competing for colonization sites on the root systems of white pine seedlings. At present, only two or three ectomycorrhizal fungi can be identified on the basis of ectomycorrhiza morphology since the taxonomy of these fungi is based on characteristics of the reproductive structures, e.g., mushrooms, truffles. A reliable means of identifying fungi from ectomycorrhizae and hyphae is needed if the importance of fungi in major ecosystem processes, e.g. decomposition, nutrient absorption of trees, alteration of community composition by pathogenic fungi, etc., is to be determined. Although the fungi to be studied are native to the area and not genetically engineered, the results of introducing a known fungus into the soil and verifying recovery of the same fungus by DNA fingerprinting will be directly applicable to experiments introducing genetically engineered microbes.