RESUMEN
PREMISE: The Amazonian hyperdominant genus Eperua (Fabaceae) currently holds 20 described species and has two strongly different inflorescence and flower types, with corresponding different pollination syndrome. The evolution of these vastly different inflorescence types within this genus was unknown and the main topic in this study. METHODS: We constructed a molecular phylogeny, based on the full nuclear ribosomal DNA and partial plastome, using Bayesian inference and maximum likelihood methods, to test whether the genus is monophyletic, whether all species are monophyletic and if the shift from bat to bee pollination (or vice versa) occurred once in this genus. RESULTS: All but two species are well supported by the nuclear ribosomal phylogeny. The plastome phylogeny, however, shows a strong geographic signal suggesting strong local hybridization or chloroplast capture, rendering chloroplast barcodes meaningless in this genus. CONCLUSIONS: With our data, we cannot fully resolve the backbone of the tree to clarify sister genera relationships and confirm monophyly of the genus Eperua. Within the genus, the shift from bat to bee and bee to bat pollination has occurred several times but, with the bee to bat not always leading to a pendant inflorescence.
Asunto(s)
Quirópteros , Fabaceae , Abejas/genética , Animales , Filogenia , Inflorescencia/genética , Teorema de Bayes , Análisis de Secuencia de ADN , Evolución MolecularRESUMEN
Indian snakeroot (Rauvolfia serpentina) is a valuable forest product, root extracts of which are used as an antihypertensive drug. Increasing demand led to overharvesting in the wild. Control of international trade is hampered by the inability to identify root samples to the species level. We therefore evaluated the potential of molecular identification by searching for species-specific DNA polymorphisms. We found two species-specific indels in the rps16 intron region for R. serpentina. Our DNA barcoding method was tested for its specificity, reproducibility, sensitivity and stability. We included samples of various tissues and ages, which had been treated differently for preservation. DNA extractions were tested in a range of amplification settings and dilutions. Species-specific rps16 intron sequences were obtained from 79 herbarium accessions and one confiscated root, encompassing 39 different species. Our results demonstrate that molecular analysis provides new perspectives for forensic identification of Indian snakeroot.
Asunto(s)
Código de Barras del ADN Taxonómico , ADN de Cloroplastos/genética , Rauwolfia/genética , Comercio/legislación & jurisprudencia , Crimen/legislación & jurisprudencia , Degradación Necrótica del ADN , Electroforesis en Gel de Agar , Especies en Peligro de Extinción , Humanos , Intrones , Reacción en Cadena de la Polimerasa , Reproducibilidad de los Resultados , Análisis de Secuencia de ADNRESUMEN
Slimming cactus (Hoodia), found only in southwestern Africa, is a well-known herbal product for losing weight. Consequently, Hoodia extracts are sought-after worldwide despite a CITES Appendix II status. The failure to eradicate illegal trade is due to problems with detecting and identifying Hoodia using morphological and chemical characters. Our aim was to evaluate the potential of molecular identification of Hoodia based on DNA barcoding. Screening of nrITS1 and psbA-trnH DNA sequences from 26 accessions of Ceropegieae resulted in successful identification, while conventional chemical profiling using DLI-MS led to inaccurate detection and identification of Hoodia. The presence of Hoodia in herbal products was also successfully established using DNA sequences. A validation procedure of our DNA barcoding protocol demonstrated its robustness to changes in PCR conditions. We conclude that DNA barcoding is an effective tool for Hoodia detection and identification which can contribute to preventing illegal trade.
Asunto(s)
Apocynaceae/genética , Comercio , Crimen , Código de Barras del ADN Taxonómico , Especies en Peligro de Extinción , ADN Espaciador Ribosómico/genética , Humanos , Espectrometría de Masas , Fitoterapia , Tallos de la Planta , Reacción en Cadena de la Polimerasa , Polimorfismo Genético , Reproducibilidad de los Resultados , Análisis de Secuencia de ADNRESUMEN
Tropical agarwood (Aquilaria) is in danger of extinction in the wild due to illegal logging. Its resin (Gaharu) is used for the production of highly valued incense throughout Asia. We have isolated and characterized microsatellite loci of Aquilaria crassna to detect the geographic origin of agarwood for forensic applications using a modified enrichment procedure based on the capture of repetitive sequences from restricted genomic DNA. We assessed the polymorphisms of five microsatellites amplified from fresh leaves of 22 trees from seven plantations in Vietnam and Thailand and dried leaves of a herbarium specimen of one wild tree. Cross specificity of these markers was confirmed on two related Aquilaria species occurring in China and Vietnam and one microsatellite locus was successfully amplified from wood and incense samples. Four of the loci were polymorphic and the number of alleles ranged from 3 to 15. The loci characterized here can provide a starting point for forensic identification of traded material and certification of sustainably produced agarwood.