IDENTIFICATION OF HIRSUTELLA SPECIES, ISOLATES WITHIN A SPECIES AND INTRASPECIFIC HETEROKARYONS BY RANDOM AMPLIFIED POLYMORPHIC DNA (RAPD)

Hirsutella thompsonii is an acaropathogenic fungus important for che b iological control of mites. H. thompsonii is polymorphic in regard to several biological characteristics, including its potency co serve as a biocontrol agent. Reliable identification of native isolates of this fungus, or chose obtained by genetic manipulations, is therefore cruc ial for the study of Hirsutella-related control of mires. Three Hirsut ella species and six isolates of H. thompsonii were identified by an a ssay for random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD). RAPD markers correla ted with the mite host of specific fungus isolates. RAPD was useful al so for identifying intraspecific heterokaryons obtained by hyphal anas tomosis. Correct RAPD identification was corroborated by comparison to the alpha-esterase isoenzyme patterns in these isolates.