Exploratory Research: Presence and biodiversity of uncultured fungi in Antarctic Dry Valleys

项目摘要/摘要真菌作为有机物的分解者，作为全球碳循环的主要驱动力，在世界范围内具有重要意义。目前关于真菌作用和能力的知识来源于培养的生物体。一个巨大的未知商品是未养殖物种的存在和生物多样性。对未培养的原核生物的研究表明，可培养的物种可能只占群落的一小部分，可能在功能上不重要。本研究将确定南极干谷土壤中未培养真菌的群落结构。因为这些真核生物在这些样本中的出现是理论上的和有问题的，所以这项研究是一项高风险的冒险。这项研究将作为一个“机会项目”与缅因大学（UM）开展的一个实地项目一起进行，该项目旨在研究酵母在干谷中的生物学作用。密歇根大学的实地研究小组将为迈阿密大学罗森斯蒂尔海洋与大气科学学院（RSMAS）的研究提供土壤样本。通过分子技术的发展，检测未培养真菌群落的方法成为可能。UM将通过序列分析来鉴定培养的物种。RSMAS将通过从南极土壤中提取DNA，用真核、真菌、担子菌和子囊菌特异性引物对核糖体DNA进行PCR扩增来鉴定非培养真菌。得到的扩增子将被克隆并进行序列分析。在取得积极成果的基础上，UM/RSMAS的合作研究将为研究南极和世界其他生态系统中以前未知的土壤微生物群成分的作用、功能和物种相互作用提供机会。该项目将为博士后科学家提供研究机会和培训。

Fell0232373Exploratory Research: Presence and biodiversity of uncultured fungi inAntarctic Dry ValleysProject Summary/Abstract Fungi, as decomposers of organic material, have worldwide importance as primary drivers of the global carbon cycle. The present knowledge of fungal roles and capabilities is derived from cultured organisms. A large unknown commodity is the presence and biodiversity of uncultured species. Studies of uncultured prokaryotes have indicated that the culturable species may represent a minor and possibly functionally unimportant fraction of the community. The present study will determine the community structure of the uncultured fungi in soils from the Antarctic Dry Valleys. Because the occurrence of these eukaryotes in these samples is theoretical and problematical, the research is a high-risk venture. The research will be undertaken as a "project of opportunity" in conjunction with a field project conducted by the University of Maine (UM) to examine the biological role of yeasts in the Dry Valleys. The UM field team will provide soil samples for the U. Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science (RSMAS) studies. Methods to examine uncultured fungal communities are made possible through the development of molecular techniques. UM will identify, by sequence analysis, the cultured species. RSMAS will identify uncultured fungi by DNA extraction from Antarctic soils, PCR amplification of ribosomal DNA with eukaryotic-, fungal-, basidiomycete- and ascomycete-specific primers. The resulting amplicons will be cloned and sequence analyzed. Based on positive results, the cooperative UM/RSMAS research will provide the opportunity to study the roles, functions and species interactions of previously unknown components of the soil microbiota in the Antarctic and other ecosystems throughout the world. This project will provide a research opportunity and training for a post-doctoral scientist.