A new approach for enhanced multiplication of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and isolation of ITS regions from Glomus deserticola and Laccaria fraterna

Rootlets induced from the petiole base of L. purpureus, using IAA and kinetin was used for enhanced multiplication of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungus, G. deserticula. Using conserved short arbitrary oligonucleotides, as specific primers, we amplified the ITS-region, a molecular marker for fungal identification, from the genomic DNA extracted from cultured spores of G. deserticola, and genomic DNA extracted from the mycelium of L. fraterna. The capacity of fungal colonization and subsequent spore formation of G. deserticola, compared with the natural root system was evaluated. This technology would provide a simple way to multiply AM fungi and to produce spores without microbial contamination useful for further molecular characterization.