AFLP analysis of genetic diversity in main cultivated strains of Ganoderma spp.

Ganoderma mushroom is one of the most prescribed traditional medicines, which has been used for medicinal purposes for centuries particularly in China, Japan, Korea and other Asian countries. In this article, the different strains of Ganoderma spp. used in production and their genetic relations of the closely related strains were identified and investigated at molecular level. The 30 Ganoderma strains were collected and analyzed using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) techniques. By using 8 primer combinations, the results showed that there were 52 polymorphic AFLP markers, and all accessions could be uniquely identified. Among the Ganoderma accessions, similarity coefficients ranged from 0.3282 to 0.746 in AFLP. The Ganoderma strains formed a tight cluster in eight groups in AFLP. Herein, among the collected Ganoderma spp., Ganoderma (from Korea) had some variations after introduction from original sites. These variances are related to different ecological habitats, and caused subtle discrimination in morphological traits and medical value. AFLP as a tool to identify the Ganoderma species or cultivars are very sensitive and practical