Analysis on Fungal Diversity of Air Microbial Communities from Sandstorm Source Areas of the Taklamakan Desert in Xinjiang

【Objective】The aim of the test was to reveal the air fungal diversity and compare the characteristics and the differences of air fungal communities in different regions around the edge of Taklamakan desert.【Method】Terminalrestriction fragment length polymorphism(T-RFLP) was used to analyze and compare fungal diversity of air microbial communities from 9 regions of the Taklamakan Desert in Xinjiang.【Result】The diversity index based on T-RFLP fingerprint showed the air fungal communites were rich in the Taklamakan Desert,Of them the highest Shannon index exists in Qarqan and the lowest was in Yuli.The similarity coefficient indicated the air fungal community similarity among 9 samples was between 8.3%-41.9%,Ruoqiang and Shache had the highest similarity in all(41.9%) and Yuli,Qarqan and Kargilik were the lowest(8.3%).Hierarchical Cluster Analysis had the same results with the similarity coefficient.Quantitative study showed that 9 regions of each species abundances was greatly different and had difference between dominant species and endemic species.The typical corresponding analysis(CCA) showed that the diversity index was highly affected by some environmental factors,such as altitude,temperature and wind speed.【Conclusion】The results suggested that the air fungal community was abundant from T-RFs fingerprint,and it is distinct between fungal species and abundance in different regions;the description of air microbial community was highly impacted by the choice of restriction enzymes.