Skip Navigation



Journal of Heredity Advance Access published online on March 23, 2005
Journal of Heredity, doi:10.1093/jhered/esi045
This Article
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
96/4/396    most recent
esi045v1
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Dalgleish, H. J.
Right arrow Articles by Jacobson, K. M.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Dalgleish, H. J.
Right arrow Articles by Jacobson, K. M.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© The American Genetic Association. 2005. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oupjournals.org.
Received June 4, 2004
Accepted October 20, 2004

Article

A First Assessment of Genetic Variation Among Morchella esculenta (Morel) Populations

H. J. Dalgleish 1 and K. M. Jacobson 1*

1 From the Department of Biology, Grinnell College, Grinnell, IA 50112


  Abstract

Habitat loss and fragmentation have serious consequences for species diversity as well as genetic diversity within a species. As the most sought-after culinary fungus in the Midwest United States, morels (Morchella esculenta and related species) demand the attention of conservationists interested in preserving biological and genetic diversity. Little is known about the natural history of M. esculenta, which is critical information for understanding population dynamics as well as the impacts of habitat fragmentation and harvesting. We report initial results from our long-term studies of genetic variability among fruiting bodies at the Conard Environmental Research Area at Grinnell College, Grinnell, Iowa. Using random amplified polymorphic DNA-polymerase chain reaction (RAPD-PCR), a technique that has been successfully used to examine intrapopulation structure and detect clonal populations in numerous fungi, we found substantially higher levels of genetic polymorphism among 57 fruiting bodies than has been previously reported. Though laboratory studies indicate that the inbreeding potential for this fungus is high, we found little evidence for inbreeding, with only two pairs of the randomly chosen isolates having identical genotypes at the 34 loci examined. This work highlights the importance of further attempts to resolve important aspects of the morel life cycle regarding heterokaryosis and inbreeding potential.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.