[PCR amplification of anaerobic fungal 18S rDNA from landfill sites]

Nucleic acid based techniques are widely used to characterize microbial communities in environmental samples. In this study, seven landfill leachates were tested for the presence of 18S rRNA genes from anaerobic fungi from the family Chytridiomycetes. A nested Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) strategy was employed to amplify the 18S rRNA gene region of Chytridiomycetous fungi from landfill sites samples. All of the PCR products from landfill leachates amplified with the first primer pair NS1/NS8 and the second primer pair Chyt-719/Chyt-1553 were subjected to agarose gel electrophoresis to show seven samples containing fungi from the family Chytridiomycetes. One of the positive results was then selected for cloning and sequencing of the PCR product to confirm the identity of the amplified DNA. The molecular data presented here reveals for the first time that Chytridiomycetous fungi associated with the anaerobic rumen environment are also present in landfill sites.