Morphological Variation, ITS and EF-1α Gene Nucleotide Polymorphism in Gyromitra esculenta (Discinaceae)

Abstract

Gyromitra esculenta (Pers.) Fr. has many morphologically and microscopically different specimens. Sometimes these morphologically different specimens are called as a different taxon. In this study a collection of 143 Gyromitra esculenta specimens were analyzed using macroscopic and microscopic features. Then ten groups were obtained which are potentially confusable because of morphological and microscopical variations. nrDNA ITS and translation elongation factor (EF-1α) genes are used to determine molecular differentiations between these groups. Morchella Dill. ex Pers. spp. were used as outgroups. nrDNA ITS region of ten different groups give three phylogenetically distinct groups. Between these groups nucleotide polymorphism ratio is nearly % 1. EF-1α gene doesn’t consist of any polymorphism and not informative. Also intraspecific ITS nucleotide polymorphism ratio in Gyromitra infula (Schaeff.) Quél. and Gyromitra gigas (Krombh.) Cooke which are taken from Genbank is nearly %1 too. So, we conclude ecological factors cause morphological and microscopical variants of Gyromitra esculenta.