ITS-Based Molecular Identification of Macrofungi from Karadeniz Technical University Kanuni Campus

This study aimed to identify macrofungal specimens collected from the Kanuni Campus of Karadeniz Technical University using DNA barcoding based on partial sequences of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region. Specimens collected from different microhabitats were photographed during field sampling and assigned taxonomically using nrDNA ITS sequence data. The generated sequences were analyzed using reference sequences obtained from the GenBank database, and phylogenetic analyses were conducted by including these reference sequences. Based on the molecular data, the examined specimens were assigned to the taxa Suillus sp., Collybia sordida, Agaricus moelleri, Agaricus xanthodermus, Paralepista, Russula parazurea, Coprinellus ovatus, Pholiota gummosa, and Tricholomopsis alborufescens. Among the analyzed specimens, isolate FNG-21 was identified as Tricholomopsis alborufescens based on ITS sequence data and is reported here as the first record of this species from Türkiye. These findings demonstrate that ITS-based molecular identification is an effective approach for documenting macrofungal diversity.