Diversity of a phosphate transporter gene among species and isolates of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Issue 2 (11th February 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Giovannini, Luca; Sbrana, Cristiana; Avio, Luciano; Turrini, Alessandra
• Is Part Of: FEMS microbiology letters. Volume 367:Issue 2(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-02-11
• Subjects: arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi -- phosphate transporter genes -- SSU-ITS-LSU region -- intraspecific diversity -- AMF molecular characterization -- mycorrhizal symbiosis; Microbiology -- Periodicals; 579
• DOI: 10.1093/femsle/fnaa024
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0378-1097

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are a key group of beneficial obligate biotrophs, establishing a mutualistic symbiosis with the roots of most land plants. The molecular markers generally used for their characterization are mainly based on informative regions of nuclear rDNA (SSU-ITS-LSU), although protein-encoding genes have also been proposed. Within functional genes, those encoding for phosphate transporters (PT) are particularly important in AMF, given their primary ability to take up Pi from soil, and to differentially affect plant phosphate nutrition. In this work, we investigated the genetic diversity of PT1 gene sequences and sequences of the taxonomically relevant SSU-ITS-LSU region in two isolates of the species Funneliformis coronatus, three isolates of the species Funneliformis mosseae and two species of the genus Rhizoglomus, originated from geographically distant areas and cultured in vivo . Our results showed that partial PT1 sequences not only successfully differentiated AMF genera and species like ribosomal gene sequences but also highlighted intraspecific diversity among F. mosseae and F. coronatus isolates. The study of functional genes related to the uptake of key mineral nutrients for the assessment of AMF diversity represents a key step in the selection of efficient isolates to be used as inocula in sustainable agriculture. Abstract : Phosphate transporter 1 gene sequences obtained from different arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal isolates represent a useful tool to highlight intraspecific diversity within the species Funneliformis mosseae and Funneliformis coronatus .