Comparative study and molecular characterization of ectomycorrhizas in Tilia americana and Quercus pubescens with Tuber brumale

Mycorrhizas of Tuber brumale on Quercus pubescens and Tilia americana were obtained in vitro using micropropagated plantlets. Mycelium pure cultures were used for inoculation. Both the mycelium used for the inoculations, as well as the mycorrhizas which were obtained, were identified using several molecular approaches: analysis of the ITS region, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) specific primers and sequencing. The mycorrhizas were described from a morphological standpoint. Some of their biometric characteristics were different in bass-wood than they were in oak, thus showing the influence of the host plant on several of the morphological features believed to be necessary for the identification of the species. Considering the variability of their morphological characteristics, molecular analysis proved to be a necessary tool for the recognition of the mycorrhizas of Tuber spp. © 2002 Federation of European Microbiological Societies.