A direct PCR approach with low-biomass insert opens new horizons for molecular sciences on cryptogam communities.

ABSTRACT: Molecular sequence data have transformed research on cryptogams (e.g., lichens, microalgae, fungi, and symbionts thereof) but methods are still strongly hampered by the small size and intermingled growth of the target organisms, poor cultivability and detrimental effects of their secondary metabolites. Here, we aim to showcase examples on which a modified direct PCR approach for diverse aspects of molecular work on environmental samples concerning biocrusts, biofilms, and cryptogams gives new options for the research community. Unlike traditional approaches, this methodology only requires biomass equivalent to colonies and fragments of 0.2 mm in diameter, which can be picked directly from the environmental sample, and includes a quick DNA lysis followed by a standardized PCR cycle that all

SUBMITTER: Jung P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10952543 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature