Barcoding and border biosecurity: identifying cyprinid fishes in the aquarium trade

Background

Poorly regulated international trade in ornamental fishes poses risks to both biodiversity and economic activity via invasive alien species and exotic pathogens. Border security officials need robust tools to confirm identifications, often requiring hard-to-obtain taxonomic literature and expertise. DNA barcoding offers a potentially attractive tool for quarantine inspection, but has yet to be scrutinised for aquarium fishes. Here, we present a barcoding approach for ornamental cyprinid fishes by: (1) expanding current barcode reference libraries; (2) assessing barcode congruence with morphological identifications under numerous scenarios (e.g. inclusion of GenBank data, presence of singleton species, choice of analytical method); and (3) providing supplementary information to identify difficult species.

Methodology/Principal Findings

We sampled 172 ornamental cyprinid fish species from the international trade, and provide data for 91 species currently unrepresented in reference libraries (GenBank/Bold). DNA barcodes were found to be highly congruent with our morphological assignments, achieving success rates of 90–99%, depending on the method used (neighbour-joining monophyly, bootstrap, nearest neighbour, GMYC, percent threshold). Inclusion of data from GenBank (additional 157 spp.) resulted in a more comprehensive library, but at a cost to success rate due to the increased number of singleton species. In addition to DNA barcodes, our study also provides supporting data in the form of specimen images, morphological characters, taxonomic bibliography, preserved vouchers, and nuclear rhodopsin sequences. Using this nuclear rhodopsin data we also uncovered evidence of interspecific hybridisation, and highlighted unrecognised diversity within popular aquarium species, including the endangered Indian barb Puntius denisonii.

Conclusions/Significance

We demonstrate that DNA barcoding provides a highly effective biosecurity tool for rapidly identifying ornamental fishes. In cases where DNA barcodes are unable to offer an identification, we improve on previous studies by consolidating supplementary information from multiple data sources, and empower biosecurity agencies to confidently identify high-risk fishes in the aquarium trade.     

Delineating closely related species with DNA barcodes for routine biological monitoring

相似文献   

DNA Barcoding for Identification of Sugarcane Borers in China

Sugarcane borers are economically damaging insects with species that vary in distribution patterns both geographically and temporally, and vary based on ecological niche. Currently, identification of sugarcane borers is mostly based on morphological characters. However, morphological identification requires taxonomic expertise. An alternative method to identify sugarcane borers is the use of molecular data. DNA barcoding based on partial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI) sequences has proven to be a useful tool for rapid and accurate species determination in many insect taxa. This study was conducted to test the effectiveness of DNA barcodes to discriminate among sugarcane borer species in China. Partial sequences of the COI gene (709 bp) were obtained from six species collected from different geographic areas. Results showed that the pairwise intraspecies genetic distance was < 0.02, whereas the interspecies genetic distance ranged from 0.117 to 0.182. Results from a neighbor-joining tree showed that the six sugarcane borer species were certainly separated. These results suggested that the partial COI sequences had high barcoding resolution in discriminating among sugarcane borer species. Our study emphasized the use of DNA barcodes for identification of the analyzed sugarcane borer species and represents an important step for building a comprehensive barcode library for sugarcane borers in China.     

Rapid, one-step DNA extraction for insect pest identification by using DNA barcodes

Early detection of economically important insects is critical to preventing their establishment as serious pests. To accomplish this, tools for rapid and accurate species identification are needed. DNA barcoding, using short DNA sequences as species "genetic identification tags," has already shown large potential as a tool for rapid and accurate detection of economically important insects. DNA extraction is the critical first step in generating DNA barcodes and can be a rate-limiting step in very large barcoding studies. Consequently, a DNA extraction method that is rapid, easy to use, cost-effective, robust enough to cope with range of qualities and quantities of tissue, and can be adapted to robotic systems will provide the best method for high-throughput production of DNA barcodes. We tested the performance of a new commercial kit (prepGEM), which uses a novel, streamlined approach to DNA extraction, and we compared it with two other commercial kits (ChargeSwitch and Aquapure), which differ in their method of DNA extraction. We compared performance of these kits by measuring percentage of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) success and mean PCR product yield across a variety of arthropod taxa, whichincluded freshly collected, ethanol-preserved, and dried specimens of different ages. ChargeSwitch and prepGEM performed equally well, but they outperformed Aquapure. prepGEM was much faster, easier to use, and cheaper than ChargeSwitch, but ChargeSwitch performed slightly better for older (> 5-yr-old) dried insect specimens. Overall, prepGEM may provide a highly streamlined method of DNA extraction for fresh, ethanol-preserved, and young, dried specimens, especially when adapted for high-throughput, robotic systems.     

Nuclear simple sequence repeat markers are superior to DNA barcodes for identification of closely related Rhododendron species on the same mountain

Accurate species delimitation of sampled biological material is critical for a range of studies. Although the DNA barcodes developed in recent years are useful for identifying numerous well differentiated species that have not experienced frequent gene flow, they fail to delimit recently diverged species, especially those with extensive introgressions. Here we use five Rhododendron species growing together on the same mountain as a model system to compare the species delimitation effectiveness of the DNA barcodes (internal transcribed spacer, matK, psbA‐trnH, and rbcL) previously proposed versus 15 pairs of microsatellite markers. Using these markers, we genotyped 129 individuals, which were members of five species according to morphological identification. We identified five simple sequence repeat genetic clusters (independently evolving lineages) corresponding to the morphological identification. However, we found that numerous individuals contained cryptic hybrid introgressions from the other species. The four DNA barcodes could not delimit three out of four closely related species that showed clear morphological differentiation and cryptic introgressions. Even after excluding all cryptic hybrids, two closely related species could not be successfully identified. The low discrimination ability of the DNA barcodes for closely related Rhododendron species could result from two, not mutually exclusive factors: introgressive hybridization and incomplete lineage sorting. Our results highlight the importance of simple sequence repeat markers in delimiting closely related species and identifying cryptic introgressions in the absence of morphological changes.     

Assessing DNA for fish identifications from reference collections: the good,bad and ugly shed light on formalin fixation and sequencing approaches

Natural history collections are repositories of biodiversity and are potentially used by molecular ecologists for comparative taxonomic, phylogenetic, biogeographic and forensic purposes. Specimens in fish collections are preserved using a combination of methods with many fixed in formalin and then preserved in ethanol for long-term storage. Formalin fixation damages DNA, thereby limiting genetic analyses. In this study, the authors compared the DNA barcoding and identification success for frozen and formalin-fixed tissues obtained from specimens in the CSIRO Australian National Fish Collection. They studied 230 samples from fishes (consisting of >160 fish species). An optimized formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded DNA extraction method resulted in usable DNA from degraded tissues. Four mini barcoding assays of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) were characterized with Sanger and Illumina amplicon sequencing. In the good quality DNA (without exposure to formalin), up to 88% of the specimens were correctly matched at the species level using the cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI) mini barcodes, whereas up to 58% of the specimens exposed to formalin for less than 8 weeks were correctly identified to species. In contrast, 16S primers provided higher amplification success with formalin-exposed tissues, although the COI gene was more successful for identification. Importantly, the authors found that DNA of a certain size and quality can be amplified and sequenced despite exposure to formalin, and Illumina sequencing provided them with greater power of resolution for taxa identification even when there was little DNA present. Overall, within parameter constraints, this study highlights the possibilities of recovering DNA barcodes for identification from formalin-fixed fish specimens, and the authors provide guidelines for when successful identification could be expected.     

‘Direct PCR’ optimization yields a rapid,cost‐effective,nondestructive and efficient method for obtaining DNA barcodes without DNA extraction

Macroinvertebrates that are collected in large numbers pose major problems in basic and applied biodiversity research: identification to species via morphology is often difficult, slow and/or expensive. DNA barcodes are an attractive alternative or complementary source of information. Unfortunately, obtaining DNA barcodes from specimens requires many steps and thus time and money. Here, we promote a short cut to DNA barcoding, that is, a nondestructive PCR method that skips DNA extraction (‘direct PCR’) and that can be used for a broad range of invertebrate taxa. We demonstrate how direct PCR can be optimized for the larvae and adults of nonbiting midges (Diptera: Chironomidae), a typical invertebrate group that is abundant, contains important bioindicator species, but is difficult to identify based on morphological features. After optimization, direct PCR yields high PCR success rates (>90%), preserves delicate morphological features (e.g. details of genitalia, and larval head capsules) while allowing for the recovery of genomic DNA. We also document that direct PCR can be successfully optimized for a wide range of other invertebrate taxa that need routine barcoding (flies: Culicidae, Drosophilidae, Dolichopodidae, Sepsidae; sea stars: Oreasteridae). Key for obtaining high PCR success rates is optimizing (i) tissue quantity, (ii) body part, (iii) primer pair and (iv) type of Taq polymerase. Unfortunately, not all invertebrates appear suitable because direct PCR has low success rates for other taxa that were tested (e.g. Coleoptera: Dytiscidae, Copepoda, Hymenoptera: Formicidae and Odonata). It appears that the technique is less successful for heavily sclerotized insects and/or those with many exocrine glands.     

COI barcodes for identification of Merodon hoverflies (Diptera, Syrphidae) of Lesvos Island, Greece

DNA barcoding has become a useful system for linking different biological life stages, and for identification of species within a known taxonomic framework. In this study, we generated mitochondrial DNA COI barcodes using adult specimens of all 22 species of the hoverfly genus Merodon (Diptera, Syrphidae) occurring on Lesvos island (Greece). The generated COI barcodes could well discriminate between all Merodon taxa of Lesvos, except for M. loewi and M. papillus that shared the same haplotype, despite their clear morphological differences. In addition, the barcodes revealed two cases of hitherto unknown morphologically cryptic species close to M. avidus and M. nigritarsis, respectively. Because only few successful rearings of immature stages of Merodon hoverflies are available, the larval host plant remains unknown for these phytophagous taxa. The obtained COI barcode library for the Merodon spp. of Lesvos will constitute a tool to link any unknown immature stages with already known species, and thus provide important life-history information and promise for ecological studies.     

New insights into DNA barcoding of seagrasses

Taxonomists find some plant genera challenging because of the few morphological differences or unclear characters among closely related species, which leads to the misidentification of taxa. DNA barcoding is an approach to identify species by using short orthologous DNA sequences, known as ‘DNA barcodes’. Concatenated rbcL and matK sequences are considered DNA barcodes for seagrasses. However, these markers are not applicable to all members of seagrasses at the species level, especially within the genus Halophila. Our previous studies indicated that the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) showed higher species resolution than the concatenated rbcL and matK sequences in the case of Halophila ovalis and closely related species. In this study, 26 ITS, two rbcL and two matK consensus sequences from 18 seagrass taxa belonging to four families collected in India, Vietnam, Germany, Croatia and Egypt were processed. Molecular ITS analysis resolved five clades. The results also indicate that the Cymodoceaceae family might be a non-monophyletic group. In conclusion, ITS could be applied as a DNA barcode for seagrasses instead of the rbcL/matK system previously proposed.     

Plant DNA barcoding: from gene to genome

DNA barcoding is currently a widely used and effective tool that enables rapid and accurate identification of plant species; however, none of the available loci work across all species. Because single‐locus DNA barcodes lack adequate variations in closely related taxa, recent barcoding studies have placed high emphasis on the use of whole‐chloroplast genome sequences which are now more readily available as a consequence of improving sequencing technologies. While chloroplast genome sequencing can already deliver a reliable barcode for accurate plant identification it is not yet resource‐effective and does not yet offer the speed of analysis provided by single‐locus barcodes to unspecialized laboratory facilities. Here, we review the development of candidate barcodes and discuss the feasibility of using the chloroplast genome as a super‐barcode. We advocate a new approach for DNA barcoding that, for selected groups of taxa, combines the best use of single‐locus barcodes and super‐barcodes for efficient plant identification. Specific barcodes might enhance our ability to distinguish closely related plants at the species and population levels.     

植物物种的快速鉴定与iFlora: DNA条形码在马先蒿属中的应用

DNA条形码技术就是利用一段较短的标准DNA序列对物种进行快速鉴定。与基于植物外部形态特征的传统分类鉴定方法相比, DNA条形码具有高效、准确,且易于实现自动化和标准化的特点。马先蒿属（Pedicularis L.）植物具对生（轮生）叶的种类70%以上分布在中国,近缘种间形态上非常相似,鉴定较为困难。研究选取马先蒿属具对生（轮生）叶类群43种164份样品,利用叶绿体基因（rbcL、matK、trnH psbA）和核基因（ITS）条形码片段,采用建树法和距离法检验4个条形码对这些物种的鉴定效果。结果表明,ITS片段用于建树法和距离法的鉴别率分别为81.40%和89.57%,其鉴别率高于3个叶绿体基因片段和任一基因片段的组合条码。另外,利用ITS成功解决了一些疑难种的分类问题。DNA条形码在马先蒿属研究中的实用性为新一代植物志（iFlora）实现物种的快速和准确鉴定提供了有力支持,并能为分类学、生态学、进化生物学、居群遗传学和保护遗传学等分支学科的研究提供重要信息。     

On the complementarity of DNA barcoding and morphology to distinguish benign endemic insects from possible pests: the case of Dirioxa pornia and the tribe Acanthonevrini (Diptera: Tephritidae: Phytalmiinae) in Australia

Fruit flies are considered economically important insects due to some species being agricultural pests. However, morphological identification of fruit fly adults and larvae can be difficult requiring a high level of taxonomic expertise, with misidentifications causing problematic false-positive/negative results. While destructive molecular techniques can assist with the identification process, these often cannot be applied where it is mandatory to retain a voucher reference specimen. In this work, we non-destructively (and partial-destructively) processed larvae and adults mostly belonging to the species Dirioxa pornia (Walker, 1849), of the poorly studied nonpest fruit fly tribe Acanthonevrini (Tephritidae) from Australia, to enable molecular identifications whilst retaining morphological vouchers. By retaining the morphological features of specimens, we confirmed useful characters for genus/species-level identification, contributing to improved accuracy for future diagnostics using both molecular and morphological approaches. We provide DNA barcode information for three species of Acanthonevrini known from Australia, which prior to our study was only available for a single species, D. pornia. Our specimen examinations provide new distribution records for three nonpest species: Acanthonevroides variegatus Permkam and Hancock, 1995 in South Australia, Acanthonevroides basalis (Walker, 1853) and D. pornia in Victoria, Australia; as well as new host plant records for D. pornia, from kangaroo apple, apricot and loquat.     

植物物种的快速鉴定与iFlora：DNA条形码在马先蒿属中的应用

DNA条形码技术就是利用一段较短的标准DNA序列对物种进行快速鉴定。与基于植物外部形态特征的传统分类鉴定方法相比,DNA条形码具有高效、准确,且易于实现自动化和标准化的特点。马先蒿属（PedicularisL．）植物具对生（轮生）叶的种类70％以上分布在中国．近缘种间形态上非常相似,鉴定较为困难。研究选取马先蒿属具对生（轮生）叶类群43种164份样品,利用叶绿体基因（rbcL、matK、trnH-psbA）和核基因（ITS）条形码片段,采用建树法和距离法检验4个条形码对这些物种的鉴定效果。结果表明,ITS片段用于建树法和距离法的鉴别率分别为81．40％和89．57％,其鉴别率高于3个叶绿体基因片段和任一基因片段的组合条码。另外,利用ITS成功解决了一些疑难种的分类问题。DNA条形码在马先蒿属研究中的实用性为新一代植物志（iFlora）实现物种的快速和准确鉴定提供了有力支持,并能为分类学、生态学、进化生物学、居群遗传学和保护遗传学等分支学科的研究提供重要信息。     

Bushmeat genetics: setting up a reference framework for the DNA typing of African forest bushmeat

The bushmeat trade in tropical Africa represents illegal, unsustainable off‐takes of millions of tons of wild game – mostly mammals – per year. We sequenced four mitochondrial gene fragments (cyt b, COI, 12S, 16S) in >300 bushmeat items representing nine mammalian orders and 59 morphological species from five western and central African countries (Guinea, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea). Our objectives were to assess the efficiency of cross‐species PCR amplification and to evaluate the usefulness of our multilocus approach for reliable bushmeat species identification. We provide a straightforward amplification protocol using a single ‘universal’ primer pair per gene that generally yielded >90% PCR success rates across orders and was robust to different types of meat preprocessing and DNA extraction protocols. For taxonomic identification, we set up a decision pipeline combining similarity‐ and tree‐based approaches with an assessment of taxonomic expertise and coverage of the GENBANK database. Our multilocus approach permitted us to: (i) adjust for existing taxonomic gaps in GENBANK databases, (ii) assign to the species level 67% of the morphological species hypotheses and (iii) successfully identify samples with uncertain taxonomic attribution (preprocessed carcasses and cryptic lineages). High levels of genetic polymorphism across genes and taxa, together with the excellent resolution observed among species‐level clusters (neighbour‐joining trees and Klee diagrams) advocate the usefulness of our markers for bushmeat DNA typing. We formalize our DNA typing decision pipeline through an expert‐curated query database – DNAbushmeat – that shall permit the automated identification of African forest bushmeat items.     

Detecting invertebrate species in archived collections using next‐generation sequencing

Invertebrate biodiversity measured at mostly family level is widely used in biological monitoring programmes to assess anthropogenic impacts on ecosystems. However, next‐generation sequencing (NGS) could allow development of new more sensitive biomonitoring tools by allowing rapid species identification. This could be accelerated if archived invertebrate collections and environmental information from past programmes are used to understand species distributions and their environmental responses. In this study, we take archived macroinvertebrate samples from two sites collected on multiple occasions and test whether NGS can successfully detect species. Samples had been stored in 70% ethanol at room temperature for up to 12 years. Three amplicons ranging from 197 to 274 bps within the DNA barcode region were amplified from samples and compared to DNA barcoding libraries to identify species. We were able to amplify partial DNA barcodes from most samples, and species were often detected with multiple amplicons. However, some singletons and taxa poorly covered by DNA barcoding were missed. This suggests additional DNA barcodes will be required to fill ‘gaps’ in current DNA barcode libraries for aquatic macroinvertebrates and/or that it may not be possible to detect all taxa in a sample. Furthermore, older samples often detected fewer taxa and were less reliable for amplification, suggesting NGS is best used on samples within 8 years of collection. Nevertheless, many common taxa with existing DNA barcodes were reliably identified with NGS and were often present at sites across multiple years, showing the potential of NGS for detecting common and abundant species in archived material.     

Molecular identification and barcodes for the genus Nymphaea

Nymphaea species, the most popular decorative plants, were collected for specificity of inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) analyses in species identification and differentiation of cultivars and natural populations. Dendrogram constructed from ISSR analyses separated out wild species, namely Nymphaea cyanea, N. nouchali, N. capensis, N. lotus and an outgroup N. mexicana, and cultivars. The dendrogram indicates that the cultivars should be differentiated from N. capensis, as they are sister individuals of N. capensis. The ISSR banding data and the dendrogram are concordantly concluded that wild N. capensis would be an effective type species for producing different cultivars. After plant identification by ISSR markers, DNA barcodes of all sample materials were done to provide species specific markers which can be used for rapid and accurate further plant identification without morphological characters. DNA barcoding sequence analysis indicates genetic distance values. All sequences were recorded in GenBank database.     

Detection of invasive and cryptic species in marine mussels (Bivalvia,Mytilidae): A chromosomal perspective

Marine mussels illustrate a stunning variability in shape and color. Such variability, added to the scarcity of reliable morphological characters for their identification, can mislead recognition prompting the assignation of specimens of a single species to different ones or incorporate specimens belonging to different taxa into a single one. DNA barcoding is widely used for species identification; however, as this method relies on the previous morphological identification of the specimens, some of the DNA sequences stored in DNA databases are incorrectly assigned to a given species. In view of this uncertainty, further criteria beyond morphological characters and DNA sequences in databases are required to more reliably and accurately identify marine mussels. In this work we mapped ribosomal RNA and histone gene clusters to chromosomes of four species of marine mussels and compared them with those from another eight marine mussel taxa. Specimens of these twelve taxa were also DNA barcoded. Our results clearly demonstrated that the chromosomal analysis of marine mussels could shed light on their identification and, therefore, solve contradictions posed by morphological and molecular data.     

Fungal pathogen (mis-) identifications: A case study with DNA barcodes on Melampsora rusts of aspen and white poplar

Wide variation and overlap in morphological characters have led to confusion in species identification within the fungal rust genus Melampsora. The Melampsora species with uredinial–telial stages on white poplar and aspens are especially prone to misidentification. This group includes the Melampsora populnea species complex and the highly destructive pine twisting rust, Melampsora pinitorqua, which alternates between hosts in Populus section Populus and Pinus. Our objective was to compare morphologically based identification to genetic material extracted from Melampsora species pathogenic to aspen and white poplar. We compared morphometric traits and DNA barcodes obtained from internal transcribed spacer (ITS), large ribosomal RNA subunit (28S), and mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase 1 (CO1) sequences to delimit within this taxonomically difficult group. Eight different Melampsora species were initially defined based on host specificity and morphometric data. DNA barcodes were then overlaid on these initial species definitions. The DNA barcodes, specifically those defined on ITS and 28S sequences, provided a highly accurate means of identifying and resolving Melampsora taxa. We highlighted species misidentification in specimens from Canadian herbaria related to either Melampsora medusae f. sp. tremuloidae or Melampsora aecidioides. Finally, we evidenced that the north-American species found on Populus alba, M. aecidioides is closely related but distinct from the four species of the M. populnea complex (Melampsora larici-tremulae, Melampsora magnusiana, Melampsora pinitorqua, and Melampsora rostrupii) found in Eurasia.     

Mitochondrial barcodes are diagnostic of shared refugia but not species in hybridizing oak gallwasps

Mitochondrial DNA barcodes provide a simple taxonomic tool for systematic and ecological research, with particular benefit for poorly studied or species-rich taxa. Barcoding assumes genetic diversity follows species boundaries; however, many processes disrupt species-level monophyly of barcodes leading to incorrect classifications. Spatial population structure, particularly when shared across closely related and potentially hybridizing taxa, can invalidate barcoding approaches yet few data exist to examine its impacts. We test how shared population structure across hybridizing species impacts upon mitochondrial barcodes by sequencing the cytochrome b gene for 518 individuals of four well-delimited Western Palaearctic gallwasp species within the Andricus quercuscalicis species group. Mitochondrial barcodes clustered individuals into mixed-species clades corresponding to refugia, with no difference in within- and between-species divergence. Four nuclear genes were also sequenced from 4 to 11 individuals per refugial population of each species. Multi-locus analyses of these data supported established species, with no support for the refugial clustering across species seen in mitochondrial barcodes. This pattern is consistent with mitochondrial introgression among populations of species sharing the same glacial refugium, such that mitochondrial barcodes identify a shared history of population structure rather than species. Many taxa show phylogeographic structure across glacial refugia, suggesting that mitochondrial barcoding may fail when applied to other sets of co-distributed, closely related species. Robust barcoding approaches must sample extensively across population structure to disentangle spatial from species-level variation. Methods incorporating multiple unlinked loci are also essential to accommodate coalescent variation among genes and provide power to resolve recently diverged species.     

DNA Barcodes for Nearctic Auchenorrhyncha (Insecta: Hemiptera)

Background

Many studies have shown the suitability of sequence variation in the 5′ region of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) gene as a DNA barcode for the identification of species in a wide range of animal groups. We examined 471 species in 147 genera of Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha drawn from specimens in the Canadian National Collection of Insects to assess the effectiveness of DNA barcoding in this group.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Analysis of the COI gene revealed less than 2% intra-specific divergence in 93% of the taxa examined, while minimum interspecific distances exceeded 2% in 70% of congeneric species pairs. Although most species are characterized by a distinct sequence cluster, sequences for members of many groups of closely related species either shared sequences or showed close similarity, with 25% of species separated from their nearest neighbor by less than 1%.

Conclusions/Significance

This study, although preliminary, provides DNA barcodes for about 8% of the species of this hemipteran suborder found in North America north of Mexico. Barcodes can enable the identification of many species of Auchenorrhyncha, but members of some species groups cannot be discriminated. Future use of DNA barcodes in regulatory, pest management, and environmental applications will be possible as the barcode library for Auchenorrhyncha expands to include more species and broader geographic coverage.