Table 2 Detection of fungal taxa from root tips of spruce and beech using different

identification approaches. Species name Morphotyping/ITS sequencing of individual ECM tips ITS cloning/sequencing of ECM tip pools Phylochip samples from Picea abies       Thelephora terrestris x x x Cenococcum geophilum x x x Clavulina selleck chemical cristata x x x Atheliaceae (Piloderma) sp x x no oligonucleotide Cortinarius sp 1 x x x Xerocomus pruinatus x x x Tomentellopsis submollis morphotyping only x x Inocybe sp morphotyping only x x Xerocomus badius x x x Tylospora buy FHPI asterophora x x x Tylospora fibrillosa x x x Sebacina sp x   no oligonucleotide Cortinarius sp 2     x Russula integra     x Cortinarius alboviolaceus     x Cortinarius traganus     x Amanita muscaria     x Lactarius sp1 morphotyping only     ECM from Fagus sylvatica       Pezizales sp x x no oligonucleotide Sebacinaceae sp x x no oligonucleotide Laccaria amethystina x x

x Endophyte sp.   x no oligonucleotide Inocybe napipes x x x Xerocomus pruinatus x x x Cortinarius sp 2 x x x Cortinarius sp 3 x x x Cortinarius tortuosus   x x Russula puellaris x x x Tomentellopsis submollis x x x Laccaria laccata x x x Cenococcum geophilum x   x Cortinarius sp 1     x Cortinarius hinnuleus     x Russula integra     x Laccaria bicolor     x Amanita rubescens morphotyping only     Lactarius sp2 morphotyping this website only     Tomentella sp morphotyping only     Comparison of the abundance of sequences analysed by the cloning/sequencing approach and the species detection via the phylochip approach, indicated that the phylochip has the potential to detect taxa represented by approx. 2% of a DNA type in an Farnesyltransferase environmental

DNA sample. However, to assess the sensitivity of the current custom phylochip in more detail, further analyses will be carried out. Discussion Many different environmental factors influence the dynamics and the spatiotemporal structure of ECM communities [26, 27, 5, 4]. A better understanding of the mechanisms underlying these dynamics will require year-round ECM monitoring at incrementally increased spatial resolutions. However, the limited number of samples that can currently be analysed hinders the use of molecular approaches for large-scale studies. With the ongoing development of high-throughput molecular diagnostic tools, such as DNA oligoarrays [19] and 454 pyrosequencing [28], larger scale surveys (in terms of both the frequency and depth of analysis) of soil fungi are now possible. Ecologically relevant sample throughput in the in the 100 to 1000 range is now accessible. So far, phylochips have been used for the identification of bacteria [29], viruses [30], and a few genera of closely related fungal species [18].