Discipline: Biological Sciences
Subcategory: Cell and Molecular Biology
Session: 2
Room: Exhibit Hall A
Ruth Sam - Bowie State University
Mushrooms are the spore-producing structures of certain fungi, typically consisting of a stalk and a cap, and in most species, the spores are formed on gills. Mushrooms that are available on the market for human consumption are either harvested in the wild or farm-raised and then transported to different stores. Edible and consumer-relevant fungi are of high economic value and identification of edible ones as foods can be a challenge, especially when they belong to highly speciose and understudied groups like fungi. Fungal taxonomy and morphology are challenging because of their typically cryptic nature and the diversity they show in morphology, ecology, and life cycles. In addition to this the appearance of industrially processed mushrooms, which is, in many cases, not clear enough for accurate species identification especially when it is in dried form. Also, many foods are commonly mislabeled in order to gain a greater profit and sometimes cheaper products are replaced with expensive ones. Some species of mushrooms may be more preferred by consumers and due to possible alteration in morphology after rough-handling and exposure to harsh weather, it is likely they might be mixed together or mislabeled unintentionally or intentionally simply for profit maximization. The aim of this research is to identify different species of mushrooms sold in stores located within Bowie, Maryland. The method used was DNA Barcoding; this method provides a way to identify species at a molecular level. 33 mushroom samples were bought from various stores within Bowie, MD and DNA was extracted using CTAB (Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide) method; polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was conducted using the Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) primer. Gel electrophoresis was performed to confirm successful amplification. Successful amplicons were sent out for sequencing to GeneWiz, LLC. Sequences were uploaded to DNA Subway, a system used to analyze genetic relationships between species. Using the basic local alignment search tool (BLAST), we were able to verify the taxonomic identity of each mushroom. Verifying the genotypic expressions of the store-bought mushrooms will help us to identify the similarities and differences of wild mushrooms found within Bowie State University and around Bowie, MD. Results: Through BLASTanalysis, 44 different species of mushrooms were identified with the Agaricus bisporus var bisporus H 97 being the most commonly marketable one within Maryland 36 of Agaricus bisporus var bisporus H 97 out of 126 were detected and each mushroom sample was identified to the species level (Table 1 Major allele frequency ranged from 0 0317 (SCoT 35 to 0 3175 (SCoT 22 The mean number of alleles obtained was 80 8571 while gene diversity ranged from 0 8808 (SCoT 22 to 0 9875 (SCoT 35 SCoT 35 has the highest PIC value as the most discriminatory or informative marker Discussion: Each of the mushrooms was identified to the species level Forty four 44 different species of mushrooms were identified with Agaricus bisporus var bisporus H 97 being the most common among the 126 mushroom accessions studied Genetic diversity revealed by SCoT polymorphic markers identified Musm 50 A to be the most genetically diverse one with the highest values of effective number of alleles ( Nei’s gene diversity ( and Shannon’s information index ( as 0 9721 0 4929 and 0 6829 respectively. Conclusion: The two markers,ITSand SCoT accurately resolved the mushroom samples into their respective species and distinguished them based on their genetic diversity richness The SCoT 16 SCoT 35 SCoT 22 SCoT 33 and SCoT 20 markers discriminated the mushroom samples based on their allelic variations and genetic diversity The SCoT 35 was identified to be the most polymorphic one with the highest value of PIC Agaricus bisporus var bisporus H 97 (Musm 50 A) was found to be the most dominant (most common within Maryland, USA) by ITS and most genetically diverse by SCoT markers, respectively Therefore, ITS and SCoT markers were found informative and should be used for species identification and genetic diversity assessment of mushrooms.
Funder Acknowledgement(s): HBCU-UP
Faculty Advisor: Dr. George Ude, gude@bowiestate.edu
Role: Mushrooms are the spore-producing structures of certain fungi, typically consisting of a stalk and a cap, and in most species, the spores are formed on gills. Mushrooms that are available on the market for human consumption are either harvested in the wild or farm-raised and then transported to different stores. Edible and consumer-relevant fungi are of high economic value and identification of edible ones as foods can be a challenge, especially when they belong to highly speciose and understudied groups like fungi. Fungal taxonomy and morphology are challenging because of their typically cryptic nature and the diversity they show in morphology, ecology, and life cycles. In addition to this the appearance of industrially processed mushrooms, which is, in many cases, not clear enough for accurate species identification especially when it is in dried form. Also, many foods are commonly mislabeled in order to gain a greater profit and sometimes cheaper products are replaced with expensive