Title : Molecular identification of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal spores associated to the rhizosphere of retama raetam in Tunisia
Abstract:
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are found in the soil of most ecosystems where they form mutualistic associations that affect plants growth. We have investigated the community structure of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) associated to Retama raetam growing in five regions of Tunisia. The spore density was quantified and wase xpressed as the total number of spores per 100g of soil. The total number of spores was significantly different across sites, ranging from 633.3 to 1062.6 spores per 100g dry soil. The large subunit (LSU) regions of the nuclear rDNA of AMF spores associated to R. raetam roots were subjected to nested PCR, cloning, sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. In total, 250 sequences were obtained, which grouped, according to phylogenetic analysis into 14 operational units (OTUs), among which 7 OTUs were clustered with known species of Glomus. The others OTUs were similar to uncultured glomeromycetes. These results suggest the dominance of the genus Glomus in the soil rhizosphere of R. raetam.
Keywords: Retama raetam, Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, Cloning, Sequencing, Glomus
