Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers for amplifying ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase from lichens

Amplification products of both large and small subunits of rubisco have bee n constructed with lichen thalli of Cladonia verticillaris and Evernia prun astri and their respective photobionts, using as primers oligonucleotides o f Spinacea oleracea (large) and Arabidopsis thaliana (small) genes. Althoug h a pattern of multiple bands appeared by the southern analysis of the larg e as well as the small subunits, hybridation experiments revealed that only one band exclusively hybridized in both cases, with the corresponding ampl ified oligonucleotide.