Sequence Analysis and rRNA Secondary Structure Prediction of 28S rRNA Genes of Two Ganoderma Mushrooms from Similipal Biosphere Reserve, Odisha, India

Abstract

Two Ganoderma mushrooms (Ganoderma sp.M1 & Ganoderma sp.M3) were collected from Similipal Biosphere Reserve, Odisha, India. Ethnomedicinally these mushrooms are known to have medicinal value used in curing asthma and having wound healing capability. The objective of present study is to evaluate the morphological and molecular characteristics of two Ganoderma mushrooms with a view to identify them. Based on their morphological characteristics, the studied mushrooms were identified as member of genus Ganoderma. Further confirmation of identity of these mushrooms was made by molecular study based on LSU rDNA sequences and RNA secondary structure prediction. The results obtained from molecular phylogenetic tree revealed that the newly collected Ganoderma sp.M1 shown 82 % homology with Ganoderma applanatum, hence may be identified as Ganoderma applanatum. But the other isolated strain of Ganoderma sp.M3 shown less similarity with same species of Ganoderma, hence no species is assigned to them. The results of 28S rRNA sequence analysis shown a weak similarity between both the new strains (Ganoderma sp.M1 & Ganoderma sp.M3) which is also reflected at their secondary structural folding patterns observed from their minimum free energy based predicted secondary structures.