An improved amplification and sequencing strategy for phylogenetic studies using the mitochondrial large subunit rRNA gene.

Numerous molecular systematic studies have employed variation in the mitochondrial large subunit (16s) rRNA gene to infer patterns of relationship among species and higher taxa. The primers most commonly employed in 16s rRNA amplification and sequencing bracket an approximately 600 bp portion of this gene. However, most of the informative variation occurs within a 200 bp subset of this segment. We describe a novel primer pair designed to amplify this variable region in a wide range of taxa, allowing broader application and considerable streamlining of data acquisition for studies using this gene.