Analyses of the genetic diversity of matsutake isolates collected from different ecological environments in Asia

Matsutake mushrooms are able to grow in two kinds of ecological environments: coniferous forests and broadleaf forests. Japanese matsutake is a form of the matsutake mushroom that mainly appears in coniferous forests in the mid-latitude regions of Asia. In contrast, matsutake from Yunnan and Sichuan Provinces of China grows in broadleaf forests in low-latitude regions. The taxonomic relationship and the genetic distance between these two types of matsutake remain unclear. Here, we compared the random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD) data and the sequences of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and of variable domains V4, V6, and V9 of mitochondrial small subunit ribosomal DNA (mt SSU rDNA) to determine the genetic differences of Tricholoma matsutake strains collected from different ecological and geographic environments in Asia. We found few differences in the sequences of the variable domains, implying that all matsutake strains are the same biological species regardless of their host specificity and geographical differences. This conclusion is also supported by the sequences of the ITS region. On the other hand, RAPD analysis revealed that the matsutake mushrooms collected from different ecological environments have genetic differences and represent distinct varieties.