Molecular Identification of Some Edible Mushrooms (Order: Agaricales) from Central and North-Eastern Kazakhstan

The aim of the work was to study the species and taxonomic composition of macromycetes of the State National Natural Parks (Kokshetau SNNP, Karkaraly SNNP, and Bayanauyl SNNP), located in Akmola, Karaganda, and Pavlodar regions of Kazakhstan, and to create a collection of strains of natural isolates of edible mushrooms. Collection and identification of mushrooms were carried out according to general procedures applied in the mycology and botany; for molecular identification of species, the method of sequencing and analysis of internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequence of ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA) gene cluster was used. In total, 104 species of agaricoid mushrooms were collected and identified. Morphological and cultural characteristics and growth parameters of mycelium of 57 most actively growing strains from 17 species of edible agaricoid saprotrophs and xylotrophs were isolated on solid agar medium and studied. Molecular identification was performed for two strains Psc-9 (Psathyrella candolleana) and Pha-4 (Pholiota adiposa).