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Applied and Environmental Microbiology, April 2006, p. 2390-2393, Vol. 72, No. 4
0099-2240/06/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/AEM.72.4.2390-2393.2006
Copyright © 2006, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Reevaluation of the Life Cycle of Tuber magnatum{dagger}

Francesco Paolocci,{ddagger} Andrea Rubini,{ddagger} Claudia Riccioni, and Sergio Arcioni*

National Research Council, Plant Genetics Institute—Perugia, Via Madonna Alta 130, I-06128 Perugia, Italy

Received 29 July 2005/ Accepted 20 January 2006

Tuber spp. are ectomycorrhizal ascomycetes that produce ascocarps known as truffles. Basic aspects of Tuber biology have yet to be fully elucidated. In particular, there are conflicting hypotheses concerning the mating system and the ploidy level of the mycorrhizal and truffle hyphae. We used polymorphic microsatellites to compare the allelic configurations of asci with those from the network of the surrounding hyphae in single Tuber magnatum truffles. We then used these truffles to inoculate host plants and evaluated the microsatellite configurations of the resulting mycorrhizal root tips. These analyses provide direct evidence that T. magnatum outcrosses and that its life cycle is predominantly haploid. In addition to its scientific significance, this basic understanding of the T. magnatum life cycle may have practical importance in developing strategies to obtain and select nursery-produced mycorrhizal plants as well as in the management of artificial plantations of this and other Tuber spp.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: National Research Council, Plant Genetics Institute, Perugia Division, Via Madonna Alta 130, I-06128 Perugia, Italy. Phone: 39 075 5014853. Fax: 39 075 5014869. E-mail: sergio.arcioni{at}igv.cnr.it.

{dagger} Contribution no. 67 from the Institute of Plant Genetics.

{ddagger} Francesco Paolocci and Andrea Rubini contributed equally to this work.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, April 2006, p. 2390-2393, Vol. 72, No. 4
0099-2240/06/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/AEM.72.4.2390-2393.2006
Copyright © 2006, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.





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