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Assessment of Genetic Diversity Among Pleurotus spp. Isolates from Jordan

Summary

This research studied the genetic diversity of King Oyster mushrooms collected from different locations in Jordan. The scientists used DNA analysis techniques to identify the mushroom species and understand how genetically different the samples were from each other. They found significant genetic variation between mushrooms from different locations, which is important for preserving biodiversity and developing improved mushroom strains. Impacts on everyday life: – Helps develop better cultivated mushroom varieties for food production – Contributes to preserving natural mushroom biodiversity – Supports sustainable agriculture and food security – Enables better quality control in commercial mushroom farming – Provides foundation for developing mushrooms with enhanced nutritional or medicinal properties

Background

Pleurotus eryngii (King Oyster mushroom) is an important edible fungus that can form fruiting bodies on lignocellulosic substrates. It belongs to the Pleurotaceae family and is distributed across Europe, North Africa, Central Asia, Turkey and Iran. P. eryngii is widely cultivated due to its excellent shape, culinary qualities and long shelf life. It also has medicinal properties including immune-stimulatory and antifungal activity.

Objective

The study aimed to identify and characterize Pleurotus isolates collected from two locations in Jordan using morphological and molecular techniques. The research sought to analyze the genetic diversity among the isolates using internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequencing and inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers.

Results

Morphological analysis revealed variations in cap color, diameter, gill color and spore measurements between isolates. ITS and nLSU sequence analysis showed all isolates had >97% similarity to P. eryngii. ISSR analysis generated 196 total bands with 141 being polymorphic, indicating high genetic diversity (70.56% polymorphism). Cluster analysis showed the isolates grouped into two main clades based on collection sites, with similarity coefficients ranging from 0.59-0.74.

Conclusion

The study demonstrated significant morphological and genetic diversity among Jordanian Pleurotus isolates, with clear association to geographical distribution and collection sites. The molecular markers successfully identified the isolates as P. eryngii and revealed high genetic variability. Future work should focus on breeding strategies and large-scale production techniques for commercial cultivation in Jordan.
  • Published in:Journal of Fungi,
  • Study Type:Research Article,
  • Source: 10.3390/jof4020052
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