Ba. Bunyard et al., PHYLOGENY OF THE GENUS AGARICUS INFERRED FROM RESTRICTION ANALYSIS OFENZYMATICALLY AMPLIFIED RIBOSOMAL DNA, Fungal genetics and biology, 20(4), 1996, pp. 243-253
The 26S and 5S ribosomal RNA genes and the intergenic region between t
he 26S and the 5S rRNA genes of the ribosomal DNA repeat of 21 species
of Agaricus were amplified using PCR and then digested with 10 restri
ction enzymes. Restriction fragment length polymorphisms were found am
ong the 21 putative species of Agaricus investigated and used to devel
op a phylogenetic tree of the evolutionary history of A. bisporus. The
5' end of the 26S gene showed move variability than the 3' end, A. ex
cellens, A. chionodermus, and A. caroli represented the species most d
istantly related to A. bisporus. We present here the first comprehensi
ve attempt at systematically resolving the entire genus Agaricus using
modern techniques for molecular genetic analysis. Our data indicate t
hat previous taxonomic schemes, based on morphological characters, are
in need of revision. (C) 1996 Academic Press.