An electrophoretic approach to Basidiomycetes taxonomy: Intraspecific variability, varieties, ecological influences

Abstract

Basidiospores of several Basidiomycetes species were treated with electrophoretic techniques, comparing the different protein fractions of the soluble component of the spores wall. The electrophoretic data were elaborated to obtain dendrograms indicating the similarity degree. The method was set up and tested for its validity. The technique showed that the degree of variability within the observed species escaped any generalization, covering a broad range; it was possible to identify the varieties in dendrograms of species grown in the same/different geographical zones; the growing environment and the symbiotic host often influenced the electrophoretic pattern of the spore wall proteins and resulted in dendrograms reflecting the ecological conditions.

Abbreviations: ACP, acid phosphatases; EST, esterases; UPGMA, unweighed pair‐group method using arithmetical average

Keywords:

• Basidiospores
• electrophoresis
• similarity‐dendrogram
• wall‐proteins

Acknowledgement

The authors are gratefully indebted to Mr R. Cavatorta for his technical assistance.