LENGTH VARIATION IN THE INTERNAL TRANSCRIBED SPACER OF RIBOSOMAL DNA IN CHANTERELLES

DNA was extracted from 31 basidiomes of Cantharellus, Craterellus, and other basidiomycetes considered to have affinities to the Cantharellaceae. The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) between the 18S and the 28S genes of the nuclear ribosomal DNA was amplified using the polymerase chain reaction. Except for Cantharellus tubaeformis and Cantharellus infundibuliformis, the ITS region was longer in the Cantharellaceae than in the other fungi tested, and highly variable in length. The ITS-1 region between the 18S and the 5.8S genes was the site of most variation. The Cantharellus cibarius group had the longest ITS-1, ranging from 820 to 1100 base pairs (bp), compared with 240 to 350 bp in other basidiomycetes. Chanterelles have the longest and most variable ITS region yet described for fungi.