VARIABILITY OF NUCLEAR AND MITOCHONDRIAL RIBOSOMAL DNA OF A TRUFFLE SPECIES (TUBER AESTIVUM)

The intraspecific genetic variability of Tuber aestivum was studied us ing molecular markers at various geographical scales. We used the poly merase chain reaction (PCR) coupled with restriction fragment length p olymorphism (RFLP) analysis to examine the variation of the nuclear an d mitochondrial ribosomal DNA (rDNA). RFLPs were found in the nuclear internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and three alleles were detected in t he six populations analysed. No variability was found in mitochondrial rDNA. We found, in a very few cases, that truffles sharing different ITS genotypes could be present within a single symbiotic tree.