Intraspecific ITS Variability in Fungi
Author Information
Author(s): Nilsson R. Henrik, Kristiansson Erik, Ryberg Martin, Hallenberg Nils, Larsson Karl-Henrik
Primary Institution: Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg
Hypothesis
Can intraspecific ITS variability in the fungi be captured in one generally applicable yet stringent interval, such as 0–3%?
Conclusion
The study found substantial intraspecific ITS variability in fungi, indicating that a single threshold for species delimitation is not applicable across the kingdom.
Supporting Evidence
- The study found that the variability of the ITS region does not correlate easily with taxonomic affiliation.
- Results indicate that the canonical 3% threshold for intraspecific variation is not universally applicable across all fungi.
- Some species showed low or no intraspecific variability, while others exhibited significant variability.
Takeaway
Fungi can be very different from each other even within the same species, making it hard to use a simple rule to tell them apart.
Methodology
The study analyzed 4185 fungal species using data from international sequence databases, focusing on the variability of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region.
Potential Biases
Potential biases arise from the reliance on public databases, which may contain misidentified or poorly classified sequences.
Limitations
The study is constrained by the taxonomic reliability of public sequence databases and the presence of misidentified sequences.
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