1 – Studies on the genetic variability inside
Tuber
spp
. and in particular of
T. borchii. 2 –
Perfecting new biotechnologies of ectomycorrhizal synthesis using
mycelial pure cultures. 3 – Perfecting new morphological and
molecular tools for the identification of mycorrhizas. 4 – Studies
of the biotic factors (bacteria, genotype of the host plant, etc)
and environmental (light, composition of the substrate, etc)
able to induce morphological modifications on the mycelium of
Tuber spp
. 5 - Studies on the composition and dynamic
of the microbic communities associated to the truffle ascomata. 6.
Studies of the medicinal proprieties of the fungi belonging
to the
Ganoderna genus.
1 – The genetic variability of the truffles inside Tuber
puberulum clade (Tuber borchii, T. maculatum, T. dryophilum, etc)
is studied by the analysis of ITS, IGS regions of rDNA and of
ß-tubulin and PKC genes. 2 –Numerous strains of different
Tuber spp. were isolated in pure for the fist time (Iotti et al.,,
2002). In vitro and in greenhouse infected plants with T. borchii,
T. brumale , T. melanosporum and T. aestivum were obtained. We are
improving these mycorrhizal synthesis techniques and we are trying
to apply these techniques also to T. magnatum . 3 – Sequencing the
ITS regions and given morphological description of the
mycorrhizas different ectomycorrhizal fungi we are providing
tools for the identication of ectomycorrhizas in the field. 4 - The
aim of this research is to study the effect of different biotic and
environmental factors on the morphology of different species of
Tuber in the different phases of their ontogenetic life cycle. The
research will be carried out in collaboration with the research
group of Urbino that will study the molecular mechanisms associated
with the observed morphological modifications. In particular we
will study the influence of substrate and bacteria on the growth
and morphology of the mycelium in vitro. 5 – Microrganisms present
in the mycorrhizosphere and associated with the fungal life cycle
such as bacteria could influence the mycelial growth of mycorrhizal
fungi. In particular Staphylococcus pasteurii, a bacterium isolated
by us is able to produce volatile substances with an inhibiting and
paramorhogeneus activity on T. borchii (Barbieri et al., 2005).
Soil saprobic or ectomycorrizal fungi can favorite or inhibit other
ectomycorrhizal fungi in the soil. The effects of these
microrganisms on the growth on Tuber spp. mycelia and their impact
on the truffle life cycle are still uninvestigated. We would like
to study the fungal and bacterial communities associated to truffle
and to investigate their effects on truffle production.6. Studies
are in progress on the genetic variability, biochemical
characteristics and antioxidant activity
of different strains of Ganoderma spp.
Italian and armenian
