Lahaye Renaud, van der Bank Michelle, Bogarin Diego, Warner Jorge, Pupulin Franco, Gigot Guillaume, Maurin Olivier, Duthoit Sylvie, Barraclough Timothy G, Savolainen Vincent
Department of Botany and Plant Biotechnology, APK Campus, University of Johannesburg, P.O. Box 524, Auckland Park 2006, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2008 Feb 26;105(8):2923-8. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0709936105. Epub 2008 Feb 7.
DNA barcoding is a technique in which species identification is performed by using DNA sequences from a small fragment of the genome, with the aim of contributing to a wide range of ecological and conservation studies in which traditional taxonomic identification is not practical. DNA barcoding is well established in animals, but there is not yet any universally accepted barcode for plants. Here, we undertook intensive field collections in two biodiversity hotspots (Mesoamerica and southern Africa). Using >1,600 samples, we compared eight potential barcodes. Going beyond previous plant studies, we assessed to what extent a "DNA barcoding gap" is present between intra- and interspecific variations, using multiple accessions per species. Given its adequate rate of variation, easy amplification, and alignment, we identified a portion of the plastid matK gene as a universal DNA barcode for flowering plants. Critically, we further demonstrate the applicability of DNA barcoding for biodiversity inventories. In addition, analyzing >1,000 species of Mesoamerican orchids, DNA barcoding with matK alone reveals cryptic species and proves useful in identifying species listed in Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES) appendixes.
DNA条形码技术是一种通过使用来自基因组小片段的DNA序列进行物种鉴定的技术，旨在为广泛的生态和保护研究做出贡献，而在这些研究中传统的分类鉴定并不实用。DNA条形码技术在动物领域已得到广泛应用，但目前尚未有被普遍接受的植物条形码。在此，我们在两个生物多样性热点地区（中美洲和非洲南部）进行了密集的野外采集。我们使用了1600多个样本，比较了八个潜在的条形码。超越以往的植物研究，我们使用每个物种的多个样本，评估了种内和种间变异之间存在“DNA条形码间隙”的程度。鉴于其足够的变异率、易于扩增和比对，我们确定了质体matK基因的一部分作为开花植物的通用DNA条形码。至关重要的是，我们进一步证明了DNA条形码技术在生物多样性清查中的适用性。此外，通过分析1000多种中美洲兰花，仅使用matK进行DNA条形码分析就揭示了隐存物种，并证明在识别《濒危野生动植物种国际贸易公约》（CITES）附录中列出的物种方面很有用。
