Continental-scale distribution and diversity of Ceratobasidium orchid mycorrhizal fungi in Australia.

ABSTRACT:

Background and aims

Mycorrhizal fungi are a critical component of the ecological niche of most plants and can potentially constrain their geographical range. Unlike other types of mycorrhizal fungi, the distributions of orchid mycorrhizal fungi (OMF) at large spatial scales are not well understood. Here, we investigate the distribution and diversity of Ceratobasidium OMF in orchids and soils across the Australian continent.

Methods

We sampled 217 Ceratobasidium isolates from 111 orchid species across southern Australia and combined these with 311 Ceratobasidium sequences from GenBank. To estimate the taxonomic diversity of Ceratobasidium associating with orchids, phylogenetic analysis of the ITS sequence locus was undertaken. Sequence data from the continent-wide Australian

SUBMITTER: Freestone MW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8389474 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature