DNA extraction from museum specimens of parasitic Hymenoptera.

ABSTRACT: At the same time that molecular researchers are improving techniques to extract DNA from museum specimens, this increased demand for access to museum specimens has created tension between the need to preserve specimens for maintaining collections and morphological research and the desire to conduct molecular analyses. To address these concerns, we examined the suitability of non-invasive DNA extraction techniques on three species of parasitic Hymenoptera (Braconidae), and test the effects of body size (parasitoid species), age (time since collection), and DNA concentration from each extract on the probability of amplifying meaningful fragments of two commonly used genetic loci. We found that age was a significant factor for determining the probability of success for sequencing both 28S and

SUBMITTER: Andersen JC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3471897 | biostudies-literature | 2012

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature