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Analysis of the diversity of mushroom species in Cangandala National Park (Angola) by DNA barcoding
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Orientador(es)
Resumo(s)
Despite the overwhelming diversity that Macrofungi, fungi that produce mushrooms, exhibit worldwide, there remains a significant knowledge gap regarding their biodiversity in tropical ecosystems, in particular in the African continent, as most of the information about mushrooms’ culinary, medical, economic, and biotechnological potential is often centered around species found in the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. To address this gap, we assessed the extent of macrofungi biodiversity in the Cangandala National Park, located in Angola, Southern Africa, by DNA barcoding. DNA was extracted from 99 mushroom samples and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS), the universal fungal barcode marker, was amplified by PCR and sequenced. The ITS sequence from each mushroom sample was compared with other ITS sequences in public reference databases, thus helping to identify the species by sequence similarity and homology. In the present study, taxonomic assignment was possible for 96 specimens, with 24 confidently identified to genus level through integrative taxonomy. The identified mushrooms belonged to four major orders of the fungi kingdom: Polyporales, Russulales, Agaricales, and Boletales, representing a wide range of ecological roles. It was further concluded that several of the identified samples are edible and possibly form part of the traditional diet of the local communities. Thus, our investigation provides fundamental groundwork for future research by improving our understanding of tropical fungal biodiversity, illustrating both the strengths and caveats of DNA barcoding. Additionally, it can contribute to the development of better conservation strategies and sustainable management practices, and the increase of food security for the local communities by raising public awareness about Africa's fungal diversity and species conservation.
Descrição
Tese de Mestrado, Biologia Molecular e Genética, 2025, Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciências
Palavras-chave
Fungal diversity Mushrooms Internal transcribed spacer (ITS) Molecular biology Southern Africa