Detection of Edible Mushroom Species by Using Molecular Markers

Since ancient time, mushrooms have been cultivated and used as food owing to their nutritive and medicinal value. They are very popular, especially in the eastern countries where they are recognized as natural and healthy food. The advances in research on mushroom breeding and production are highly constrained compared to other crops due to our lack of previous knowledge in mushroom genetics. Proper knowledge of the identification of edible mushrooms is essential for effective exploration of human benefits. Identification of wild mushrooms is difficult considering visual and/or metabolic approaches. Molecular markers, especially DNA markers, are quick and reliable resources to establish the identities of wild mushroom as well as in mushroom taxonomy. Present study makes an attempt to establish a phylogenetic relationship among the edible mushrooms using RAPD (Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA) markers, AFLP (Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphic) markers, RFLP (Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphic) markers, ISSR (Inter Sample Sequence Repeat) markers, ITS (Internal Transcribed Spacer), nLSU (nuclear Large Subunit), SV (Structural Variation) markers, and REMAP (Retrotransposon Microsatellite Amplified Polymorphism) fingerprinting markers that will be instrumental in mushroom identification and characterization.