Pitfalls of establishing DNA barcoding systems in protists: the cryptophyceae as a test case.

ABSTRACT: A DNA barcode is a preferrably short and highly variable region of DNA supposed to facilitate a rapid identification of species. In many protistan lineages, a lack of species-specific morphological characters hampers an identification of species by light or electron microscopy, and difficulties to perform mating experiments in laboratory cultures also do not allow for an identification of biological species. Thus, testing candidate barcode markers as well as establishment of accurately working species identification systems are more challenging than in multicellular organisms. In cryptic species complexes the performance of a potential barcode marker can not be monitored using morphological characters as a feedback, but an inappropriate choice of DNA region may result in artifactual specie

SUBMITTER: Hoef-Emden K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3436593 | biostudies-literature | 2012

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature