01384nas a2200145   4500008004100000245006700041210006700108260002800175300001100203520090600214100001801120700001401138700001901152856006701171       2009                        eng d00aAnalysis of rhizosphere fungal communities using rRNA and rDNA0 aAnalysis of rhizosphere fungal communities using rRNA and rDNA  bSpringer-Verlag, Berlin  a29 -403 aMicrobial communities in soil and rhizosphere are diverse. Use of sequence data derived from environmental samples has become somewhat of a standard to explore the microbial diversity and community composition in soils. While the DNA encoding the ribosomal RNA genes can be easily PCR-amplified from many environmental samples, this DNA may carry a historical fingerprint, as naked DNA or as dormant, but inactive organisms. The use of ribosomal RNA may provide a tool to focus on the active organisms. This chapter describes kit-based methods to simultaneously extract DNA and RNA from environmental samples, and outlines a protocol for reverse-transcribing ribosomal RNA for PCR amplification of the produced cDNA. The fungal communities observed via sequencing the ribosomal RNA or the ribosomal RNA encoding DNA from Andropogon gerardii rhizosphere are compared, and the results briefly discussed.1 aJumpponen, A.1 aVarma, A.1 aKharkwal, A.C.  uhttp://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007%2F978-3-540-95894-9_2