Nucleotide sequencing and identification of wild mushrooms from the Philippines

Abstract

Abstract Accurate taxonomy is a key for the exploration of the advantages and proper utilization of mushrooms for the benefit of humankind. Genomic DNA of mushroom basidiocarp were extracted, amplified using internal transcribed spacer (ITS) primers, purified, and sequenced. The sequence data were assembled and compared against the GenBank database using Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST). Phylogenetic tree was constructed using Neighbor-Joining method. BLAST analysis confirmed the molecular identities of 35 mushrooms with similarities ranged from 97.16% to 100% with their respective GenBank sequences equivalent. Eleven clades of family separation were formed in the phylogenetic tree, which indicate a wide genetic diversity among mushroom samples. However, 23 species were considered as newly recorded mushroom species in the Philippines. The present work established the conclusive identities of the Philippine mushrooms, which are very essential baseline information for their proper utilization in various biotechnological applications.