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Abstract Detail



Mycological Section

Pol, Natalie Vande [1], Benning, Nils [1], Poliner, Eric [2], Desiro, Alessandro [1], Bonito, Gregory [1].

Multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) and fatty acid profiles inform the Mortierellaceae phylogeny.

Mortierella species belong to a diverse lineage of early diverging, plant-associated fungi. These chitinolytic fungi are globally distributed and ubiquitous in soils. They are also of biological interest because they harbor obligate bacterial endosymbionts, promote plant growth, and have unique oleaginous (oil-producing) features. Inter- and intra-species diversity in Mortierella has been most thoroughly sampled in continental Europe and North America and characterized using the ITS and LSU rDNA regions. While rDNA analyses are historically important in reconstructing the ‘Tree of Life’, additional loci and improved geographical sampling are necessary to (1) resolve the phylogenetic placement of these important fungi (2) reconstruct their historic biogeography. In order to better understand the phylogenetic and metabolic diversity of the Mortierellaceae, we are making efforts to isolate these fungi from geographically distinct and undersampled environments including North American caves, Australia, and Africa by baiting for this fungi with chitin as a substrate. To characterize these isolates and others in established culture collections (e.g NRRL), we are generating multilocus sequence typing (MLST) datasets and are profiling fungal fatty acid methyl esters (FAMES). Preliminary results indicate the presence of novel Mortierella species from our sampled regions, but also indicate that some Mortierella species such as M. elongata are globally ubiquitous. Preliminary fatty acid profiles show that palmitic, oleic and arachidonic acid are the most abundant fatty acids produced by Mortierella. However, we found substantial variation between isolates and species, with some isolates producing exceptionally high levels of arachidonic (25.3%) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) (11.8%). Future efforts will focus on characterizing the bacterial endosymbionts of these fungi and their impact on fatty acid profiles of their host fungi.


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1 - Michigan State University, Plant, Soil, & Microbial Sciences, 1066 Bogue St - MPS rm 3270, East Lansing, MI, 48825, USA
2 - Michigan State University, Plant Research Laboratory, 612 Wilson Rd, Room 166, East Lansing, MI, 48825, USA

Keywords:
Multi-locus sequence typing
Fatty Acid Methyl Esters
Mortierella
Phylogeny
Zygomycota.

Presentation Type: Poster:Posters for Sections
Session: P
Location: Hall D/The Shaw Conference Centre
Date: Monday, July 27th, 2015
Time: 5:30 PM
Number: PMY061
Abstract ID:1057
Candidate for Awards:MSA Best Poster Presentation Award by a Graduate Student


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