Morphological and molecular diversity of Ganoderma spp. from Botucatu, SP, region

• Grant number: 12/12751-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: October 01, 2012
• End date: September 30, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Microbiology
• Principal Investigator: Eduardo Bagagli
• Grantee: Mariana Fernandes
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IBB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The genus Ganodema contains species of economic and ecological importance due to some medicinal properties and their role in nutrient cycling in the ecosystem. All species cause the white rot, some of then are saprophytic and others are root parasites and living both in tropical and temperate environment. The group's taxonomy still presents an enormous challenge because the traditional taxonomic differentiation considers some variables characteristics, favoring the occurrence of overlapping taxa and also the creation of synonyms which results in large ambiguity in species delimitation and identification. As alternative to those problems, the molecular tool can be as a fundamental instrument to contribute on the elucidation of those taxa and of the group's phylogeny. The project objectives are the standardization of molecular identifications methodologies and also obtain information on the Ganoderma species diversity associated with trees in Botucatu region, SP. The work developing will enable the training in classical and molecular identification of those species, the investigations of the types of relationships between those organisms and the host plant, and also provide data for further evaluation of the biotechnological potential of those species. To achieve these goals, it will be put into practice field expeditions to collect fungal materials. After drying them, will be done the morphological identification. For molecular analyses, DNA extraction, amplification, as well as the cloning plasmid and the ITS region sequencing will be necessaries for the phylogenic analyses to evaluate the degree of kinship between species. (AU)