Estimation of fungal biomass and transcript levels in Tilia platyphyllos-Tuber borchii ectomycorrhizae

Very little information is available to date about the complex truffle life cycle which involves the succession of three developmental phases. In orde r to gain more knowledge about ectomycorrhizal formation and fruit body dev elopment an ectomycorrhizal model system was used to study fungal biomass a nd plant and fungal transcript levels. They were evaluated in ectomycorrhiz al development using the ergosterol assay and the internal transcribed spac er-5.8S ribosomal DNA from Tilia platyphyllos and Tuber borchii as molecula r probes respectively. The results obtained from different approaches revea led a decrease in fungal biomass, transcript and protein levels during ecto mycorrhizal development. (C) 2000 Federation of European Microbiological So cieties. Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.