CHITIN SYNTHASE HOMOLOGS IN 3 ECTOMYCORRHIZAL TRUFFLES

Degenerate PCR primers were used to amplify a conserved gene portion c oding chitin synthase from genomic DNA of six species of ectomycorrhiz al truffles. DNA was extracted from both hypogeous fruitbodies and in vitro growing mycelium of Tuber borchii. A single fragment of about 60 0 bp was amplified for each species. The amplification products from T uber magnatum, T. borchii and T. ferrugineum were cloned and sequenced , revealing a high degree of identity(91.5%) at the nucleotide level. On the basis of the deduced amino acid sequences these clones were ass igned to class II chitin synthase. Southern blot experiments performed on genomic DNA showed that the amplification products derive from a s ingle copy Phylogenetic analysis of the nucleotide sequences of class II chitin synthase genes confirmed the current taxonomic position of t he genus Tube, and suggested a close relationship between T. magnatum and T. uncinatum.