DNA Barcoding – Differentiation of Verbenaceae Lantana camara, Duranta erecta and Stachytarpheta jamaicensis using mat K and trnH-psbA as Markers

DNA barcoding uses a short DNA sequence as a marker to identify which species an organism belongs to. In this experiment, identifying Lantana camara, Duranta erecta and Stachytarpheta jamaicensis belonging to the family Verbanaceae was attempted using matK gene and trnH-psbA loci. matK gene and trnH...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Goay, Shee Min
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: 2017
Subjects:
Online Access:http://eprints.intimal.edu.my/955/
http://eprints.intimal.edu.my/955/1/136.pdf
Description
Summary:DNA barcoding uses a short DNA sequence as a marker to identify which species an organism belongs to. In this experiment, identifying Lantana camara, Duranta erecta and Stachytarpheta jamaicensis belonging to the family Verbanaceae was attempted using matK gene and trnH-psbA loci. matK gene and trnH-psbA loci in DNA isolated from three plants of each species were amplified and sent for sequencing. Sequences of each gene were then analysed using bioinfomatic methods. Conflicting results were obtained i.e. the barcode gap and tree topology method failed but BLAST gave correct identification of the species. Since both tree topology and barcode gap are distance based methods in which sequence alignment is important, it may be that because of gaps or inversions of the alignment is incorrect. Thus it may be necessary to reanalyse the alignments or use alignment free analysis. Additionally further studies using other gene loci, and doing further replications could verify the results.