Molecular identification of timber decay fungi of Gujarat, India by RAPD

Several molecular methods for detecting wood decay fungi have been developed, but methods for direct extraction of fungal DNA and fungal species identification during the incipient stage of decay could benefit to save the timber from decay. Timber degrading fungi was collected from different areas of Gujarat. The samples were brought to the Lab for their DNA isolation and quantification as well. Random amplified polymorphic DNA analysis was used to determine the % variability in the genomic profiles of Lenites sterioides, L. betulina, L. exima, Flavodon flavus strain 1, F. flavus strain 2, Ganoderma lucidum, G. applanatum, Phelinus robustus, Schizophyllum commune, Pluerotus pulmonarius, and Stereum hirsutum. Initially 18 RAPD primers (20 primers Kit E, IDT USA; 160 primers, kit- J, K, L, N, O, P, Q, R, Operon technologies Inc., USA) were screened and out of which 15 primers responded with minimum 6 loci (bands) were included in the study. 10 primers were screened for the amplification of DNA fragments. 100 percent polymorphism was observed when primers OPL-1, OPL-5, OPO-7, OPL-14, OPL-18, OPN-10, OPL-4, and OPQ-15. Dendrogram of the RAPD analysis provided information of the genetic variability among the timber degrading fungi. Over all PP among seven genera through RAPD was found to be 98.81 with 2 markers common among all genuses studied. In the pair wise comparison the mean PP was 98.87.