Expressed genes in the extraradical hyphae of an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus, Glomus intraradices, in the symbiotic phase.

To collect extraradical hyphae of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi for RNA isolation, a PVDF membrane was laid on the hyphal compartment of a two-compartment culture system of transformed carrot hairy roots and Glomus intraradices. Extraradical hyphae free from host tissue were easily collected, and their RNA was rapidly extracted with a modified acid guanidinium thiocyanate-phenol-chloroform method. A 3'-RACE (rapid amplification of cDNA ends) of a known gene indicated that this protocol enabled the isolation of mRNA molecules as small as 2.3 kb. The cDNA libraries of an AM fungus from the aseptic extraradical hyphae in a symbiotic state were constructed for the first time. Three-fourth of 150 ESTs (expressed sequence tags) indicated low or no similarities to known sequences from other organisms.