Journal of Environment and Sociobiology

Shantanu Kundu ¹, Kulendra Chandra Das ¹, Sankar Kumar Ghosh ¹

Affiliations
1 Department of Biotechnology, Assam University, Silchar-788011, Assam, IN

Abstract

The purpose of DNA barcodes for the rapid and accurate identification of wild species is one of the satisfactory and promising applications in forensic sciences. Here we developed eight 598 by sequences of COI (cytochrome c oxidase subunit I) locus for the accurate identification of commercialized turtle samples collected from different markets of East and Northeast India.The studied samples were successfully identified as two subspecies of Lissemys punctata, namely, L. p. andersoni and L. p. punctata with their limited morphometric data and sequence allignment results (99%-100% with L. punctata) in both BLASTn and BOLD IDs. Further, the studied sequences revealed less nucleotide (1.5%) and amino acid (0.5%) variationas as well as minimal K2P divergence (0% - 1.5%) in both L. p. andersoni and L. p. punctata. Partial barcode sequences are not efficient to delineate the subspecies of L. punctata. This study validated that the use of partial COI marker could overcome the lack of mophometric data to achieve higher accuracy detection of any commercialized as well as forensic samples.

Keywords

Chelonians, Trionychids, Cytochrome Oxidase C Subunit I (COI), Subspecies, Forensic, Conservation.

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Shantanu Kundu ¹, Kulendra Chandra Das ¹, Sankar Kumar Ghosh ¹

Affiliations
1 Department of Biotechnology, Assam University, Silchar-788011, Assam, IN

Abstract

Limited molecular examinations are sometimes difficult to differentiate 31 morphologically distinct Indian testudine species. Mitochondrial genes have recurrently been used as molecular markers in various productive evolutionary studies. The total 73 available barcode sequences (621bp) of testudine species were acquired from public database. The total nucleotide variation was found to be 293 positions but the amino acid variation was found in only 57 positions among the all turtle and tortoise species. The first codon position in Indian testudines was more GC bias (54%) compared to the other second and third codon position. The highest substitutions were found in Non polar group (0.03% - 16.17%) compared to the other groups, by checking their different codon positions. The minimum amino acids informative sites within the COI barcode sequences may be practicable for discriminating all Indian testudine species.

Keywords

Chelonians, Cytochrome Oxidase C Subunit I (COI), Amino Acid, Substitution.

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Sanjeev K. Gupta ¹, Shantanu Kundu ²

Affiliations
1 Department of Zoology, The Institute of Integrated and Honors studies (IIHS), Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra-136119, Haryana, India, IN
2 Zoological Survey of India, Prani Vigyan Bhawan, M-Block, New Alipore, Kolkata-700053, India, IN

Abstract

Termites are an important group of social insects and are considered as ‘ecosystem engineers’ for their role in organic decomposition, maintaining soil fertility, and hydrological parameters. They contribute large biomass in nature and often become pests. They have different reproductive and non-reproductive castes in a colony. Processes of morpho-taxonomical analyses for species determination are well developed, yet face questions as the insects have diagnostic traits limited to some castes only. These taxonomic limitations have a bearing on ecological and pest management studies. Molecular identification poses to minimize this problem of morpho-taxonomy. Mitochondrial genome or DNA barcoding serves as an additional tool to delineate species and ascertain their relationships. Hence, a classical species determination approach combined with molecular markers and barcoding techniques promises to resolve the existing taxonomic problems and controversies.

Keywords

Blattaria, Morphology, Molecular systematics, Mitochondrial markers, Nuclear markers.

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