Asma Siddique, Aftab Bashir, and Farooq Latif

pp. 607 - 613

Abstract

This work was carried out to explore the relation among thermophilic cellulolytic fungi, which are of industrial
importance. There was no report found about the genetic relationship of fungi, which are used to produce industrial enzymes.
So the aim of the study was to observe the similarity among different cellulolytic fungi on genetic level, which will provide
the background to understand the correlation among cellulase producing systems of these fungi. Eleven (11) fungi were
studied for genetic diversity using the Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) a PCR based molecular marker system.
In this regard twenty universal decamers used for RAPD resulted in 1527 numbers of bands observed during comparison of
all wild strains. Maximum polymorphism was generated with GLA-07. Average numbers of bands per 20 primers were 65-72.
An Interesting feature of the study was the similarity of Humicola insolens with Torula thermophile, more than with the
other members of the Humicola family. This genetic pattern affects the physical structure of the fungi. Spores of Torula
thermophila are more related to Humicola insolens than to its own family. Similarity between the two was found to be 57.8%,
whereas between Humicola lanuginosa (Thermomysis lanuginosus) and Humicola grisea it was 57.3%. Apart from this,
similarity between Talaromyces dupontii and Rhizomucor pusillus was 51.5%. Least similarity was found in Rhizomucor
pusillus and Humicola grisea, which was 18.7% and Chaetomium thermophile and Sporotrichum thermophile, which was
18.3%. Genetic similarity matrix was constructed on the basis of Nei and Li’s index.