Evaluation of five regions as DNA barcodes for identification of Lepista species (Tricholomataceae, Basidiomycota) from China

0301 basic medicine 0303 health sciences QH301-705.5 R Biodiversity 03 medical and health sciences Inter-specific diversity Intra-specific diversity Species delineation Medicine DNA barcoding Biology (General) Agaricales 10. No inequality
DOI: 10.7717/peerj.7307 Publication Date: 2019-07-15T04:06:08Z
ABSTRACT
Background Distinguishing among species in the genus Lepista is difficult because of their similar morphologies. Methods To identify a suitable DNA barcode for identification of Lepista species, we assessed the following five regions: internal transcribed spacer (ITS), the intergenic spacer (IGS), nuclear ribosomal RNA subunit, mitochondrial small subunit rDNA, and tef1. A total of 134 sequences from 34 samples belong to eight Lepista species were analyzed. The utility of each region as a DNA barcode was assessed based on the success rates of its PCR amplification and sequencing, and on its intra- and inter-specific variations. Results The results indicated that the ITS region could distinguish all species tested. We therefore propose that the ITS region can be used as a DNA barcode for the genus Lepista. In addition, a phylogenetic tree based on the ITS region showed that the tested eight Lepista species, including two unrecognized species, formed eight separate and well-supported clades.
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