Identification and Molecular Characterization of Rhizopus delemar from Eastern Ghats of State of India and its Biotechnological Applications

The humid climatic condition of the Koraput district of the eastern ghat of Odisha, India favors the growth of a diverse range of microbial and fungal strains, which not only lay scathing consequences on the environment but also prove to be beneficial in many industrial and biotechnological sectors. Hence, proper exploration of their roles and impacts is the necessity for an hour. With this goal, the present study reports on the identification and molecular characterization of the fungal strain collected from Koraput district of the eastern ghat of Odisha. The fungal strain was cultured, isolated, and identified using Internal transcribed spacer (ITS) 18S rRNA-specific primers. The estimation of fungal biomass was carried out by taking the dry weight of fungal mycelia after 48, 72, 96, and 120 hours of inoculation, which showed an increase in biomass (in w/w) exponentially. The fungal isolate (CAR02) was identified as Rhizopus delemar with GenBank accession number OQ683833. The SDS PAGE protein analysis showed more intensified and concentrated multiple fungal protein bands ranging from 13 to 97 kDa. ELISA (Enzyme- Linked Immunosorbent Assay) was used to estimate the antigenicity of the isolated R. delemar proteins from soil samples of Koraput. The proteins of Pythium species with an absorbance value of 1.5 shared 50-60% of similar antigenic sequences with the R. delemar proteins. Hence, the findings of our investigation suggests that the obtained antigenic sequences could further be used to isolate its epitopic specific regions that are responsible for the rot infections, against which antibodies could be developed. Further study is required to explore the rot causing fungal diversity in the soil of eastern ghats which will be helpful in designing novel disease diagnostic strategies in agriculture sectors. Furthermore, this identified fungus can also be used to synthesize various enzymes that will aid in the production of commercially significant by-products.