Reed J Z, Tollit D J, Thompson P M, Amos W
University of Cambridge, Department of Genetics, UK.
Mol Ecol. 1997 Mar;6(3):225-34. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-294x.1997.00175.x.
Seals and commercial fisheries are potential competitors for fish and cephalopods. Research into the diet of British seal species has been based on conventional dietary analyses, but these methods often do not allow assignment of species identity to scat samples. We present a protocol for obtaining DNA from seal scat (faecal) samples which can be used in polymerase chain reactions to amplify both nuclear and mitochondrial DNA. This can provide a method of identifying the species, sex and individual identity of the seal, from a particular scat sample. Combined with conventional dietary analyses these techniques will allow us to assess sources of variation in seal diet composition. Scat samples have been collected from intertidal haul-out sites around the inner Moray Firth, north-east Scotland. We have assessed methods to extract and purify faecal DNA, a combination of DNA from the individual seal, prey items, and gut bacteria, for use in PCR. Controls using faecal and blood samples from the same individual have enabled microsatellite primer sets from four pinniped species to be tested. Approximately 200 scat samples have been examined for species identity and individual matches. This study will provide essential information for the assessment of interactions between seals and commercial or recreational fisheries.
海豹和商业渔业在鱼类和头足类动物资源上存在潜在竞争关系。对英国海豹物种饮食的研究一直基于传统的饮食分析方法，但这些方法往往无法确定粪便样本中食物的具体物种。我们提出了一种从海豹粪便样本中获取DNA的方法，该DNA可用于聚合酶链反应，以扩增核DNA和线粒体DNA。这可以提供一种从特定粪便样本中识别海豹物种、性别和个体身份的方法。结合传统的饮食分析技术，这些方法将使我们能够评估海豹饮食组成的变化来源。粪便样本采集于苏格兰东北部马里湾内湾潮间带的海豹上岸点。我们评估了从粪便中提取和纯化DNA的方法，粪便DNA包含海豹个体、猎物以及肠道细菌的DNA混合物，用于聚合酶链反应。利用来自同一只海豹的粪便和血液样本进行对照，对来自四种鳍足类动物的微卫星引物组进行了测试。大约200份粪便样本已被检测物种身份并寻找个体匹配情况。这项研究将为评估海豹与商业或休闲渔业之间的相互作用提供重要信息。
