Validation of improved cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) primers for comprehensive biodiversity assessment of ascidians.

ABSTRACT: Reliable molecular tools are needed for effective biodiversity assessment of marine organisms. These tools can be used in ascidians species, which are one of the most invasive taxa worldwide and morphologically difficult to identify. This study aimed to redesign and improve ascidian-specific primers and validate the new primer pair (AscCOI2) for comprehensive biodiversity assessment. To design an optimized primer, 3,948 COI sequences from 273 ascidian species were used as a dataset. The AscCOI2 pair was developed through strategic modifications to the binding site and validated using in silico and in vitro approaches. Analysis of penalty scores showed the improved efficiency of the redesigned AscCOI2 pair, with ascidians scoring less than 150 points for both forward and rever

SUBMITTER: Bae S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12269779 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature