Phylogenetic relationships between European and Chinese truffles based on parsimony and distance analysis of ITS sequences

Abstract

Phylogenetic relationships among truffle species from Europe and China were investigated through parsimony analysis of the ITS sequences. Three major clades were obtained among the species analysed. The so-called white truffles appeared polyphyletic since Tuber magnatum was grouped with brown truffles and not with the other white species (T. maculatum, T. borchii, T. dryophilum, T. puberulum). The black truffles investigated in this study, T. brumale, T. melanosporum, T. indicum and T. himalayense, were grouped in an independent clade. The Périgord black truffle T. melanosporum and the Chinese black truffles T. indicum and T. himalayense, were very closely related. The delimitation of these species was estimated by a distance analysis on several isolates collected from different geographic areas. In spite of intraspecific variations of the internal transcribed spacers (ITS) sequences, T. melanosporum and the Chinese black truffles can be unambiguously attributed to distinct taxa.

Identification of Internal Transcribed Spacer Sequence Motifs in Truffles: a First Step toward Their DNA Bar Coding

“…with ITS sequence motifs is consistent with investigations made using traditional approaches (i.e., by morphology), as well as through molecular fingerprinting and/or phylogeny of genomic loci such as ITS and ␤-tubulin (see GenBank entries) (29,31,35,36,38,40,(51)(52)(53)56). The specific motifs identified the Tuber species not only from the ascocarp sequences but also from the sequences of unidentified soil-borne ectomycorrhizas (either complete or partial), suggesting that the ITS motifs can be used in a wide range of ecological studies to monitor the hypogeous Tuber species without cultivation.…”

“…The isolates were collected from different countries in Europe and Asia and have comprehensive, full-length ITS sequences (i.e., Ͼ460 bp). They were clearly identified from the ascocarps by morphology as well as by molecular fingerprinting and phylogenetic inference, including single nucleotide polymorphism and haplotype genotyping of several loci, such as ITS, ␤-tubulin, translation elongation factor 1-alfa, and protein kinase C (29,31,34,36,38,40,(51)(52)(53)56). The isolates also showed high sequence homology with their corresponding reference and well-identified sequences in our groups as well as in other groups: accession no.…”

Taxonomy of the Truffles

“…Several phylogenetic studies of truffles have also used this DNA region (Roux et al, 1999;Diez et al, 2002). Other molecular phylogenetic studies have been based on sequences from the 18s and the 28S (LSU) rRNA genes with or without the ITS region (e.g.…”

Chinese Tuber aestivum sensu lato in Europe

“…Sequences were submitted to GeneBank with the following accession numbers: JN975879 and JN975880. Sequences generated in this study were compared with those downloaded from GenBank database obtained from T. aestivum-T. uncinatum and T. mesentericum fruiting bodies of known geographical origin [2,3,5,11,22].…”