Species clarification of the widely cultivated Ganoderma in China based on rDNA and FIP gene sequence analysis

Abstract

Among all Ganoderma species, only G. lucidum and G. sinense, have been approved to produce health products. Thus, it is important for Ganoderma production and trade to select a suitable genetic marker for Ganoderma species clarification. The ITS region of rDNA and FIP nucleotide sequences data were used for identification of twenty widely cultivated Ganoderma strains. The sizes of ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 region from different species of Ganoderma ranged from 452 to 474 bp, and those of the FIP nucleotide sequence were from 333 to 336 bp. Using the rDNA ITS region and FIP gene sequences data. and phylogenetic analysis revealed that these Ganoderma species belong to two groups i.e., red Ganoderma and black Ganoderma. In conclusion both the FIP and ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 genes can be used as genetic markers to distinguish two subgenera Ganoderma: Sect. Ganoderma and Sect. Phaenema, confirm widely cultivated Ganoderma, which mainly belong to subgenus Ganoderma.