6533b822fe1ef96bd127d3b6

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (Glomeromycota) in european soils analysed by pyrosequencing

subject

description

Arbuscular mycorrhiza provides essential ecosystem functions in natural and humandominated ecosystems. Generally human activities like agriculture seem to have a negative effect on diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), and thus on ecosystem functioning. New sequencing technologies now allow to assess AMF diversity on a much larger scale than previously. In the context of the European project EcoFINDERS, five Long-Term Observatories across Europe with different soil management have been studied. The diversity of AMF in these soils is analyzed by pyrosequencing, using the ITS (rDNA Internal Transcribed Spacers) as marker, which were recently determined as the standard barcoding gene for the fungi. The possibility to use other genes as alternative markers was also explored.