Summary
Schlaeppi et al. present a novel SMRT sequencing methodology for detecting and profiling arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal communities with substantially higher resolution than conventional ribosomal DNA approaches. The method amplifies a 1.5-kb fragment spanning SSU, ITS and LSU regions, enabling discrimination of closely related AMF species and successful tracking of inoculated strains. Applied to soil and root samples, the approach demonstrated that AMF inoculation can substantially alter native fungal communities, providing researchers with an improved tool for studying mycorrhizal ecology despite moderate throughput limitations.
UK applicability
This methodological advancement could support UK soil health research and mycorrhizal management strategies in arable and horticultural systems. The technique's ability to distinguish between introduced and native AMF strains is particularly relevant for assessing inoculation efficacy in UK farming systems seeking to enhance soil biological function.
Key measures
AMF community composition and diversity using ribosomal DNA sequences (SSU, ITS, LSU); species-level discrimination; detection and tracing of introduced AMF strains in soil and root samples
Outcomes reported
The study developed and validated a novel SMRT sequencing-based method for profiling arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal (AMF) communities with improved resolution and specificity compared to existing SSU or ITS approaches. The method successfully detected all major AMF families, discriminated closely related species, and traced introduced AMF inocula in soil and root samples.
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