Evaluation of loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) to rapidly detect arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi

Detection and quantification of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) is important for any work with this group of root symbionts. We here applied loop-mediated amplification (LAMP), an isothermal DNA amplification technique, to AMF under in vitro culture conditions. In this first application of LAMP to AMF, we introduce LAMP primers that were able to amplify AMF DNA from colonized carrot roots (Glomus intraradices), and genomic DNA from several taxa of AMF (input template as low as 1 x 10(-2) ng). This study is the starting point for testing this method under more challenging environmental conditions. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.