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Published online on February 7, 2008, 10.1073/pnas.0709936105
PNAS | February 26, 2008 | vol. 105 | no. 8 | 2923-2928
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From the Cover
BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES / ECOLOGY
DNA barcoding the floras of biodiversity hotspots

Renaud Lahaye*, Michelle van der Bank*, Diego Bogarin{dagger}, Jorge Warner{dagger}, Franco Pupulin{dagger}, Guillaume Gigot{ddagger}, Olivier Maurin*, Sylvie Duthoit*, Timothy G. Barraclough§, and Vincent Savolainen{ddagger},§,¶

*Department of Botany and Plant Biotechnology, APK Campus, University of Johannesburg, P.O. Box 524, Auckland Park 2006, Johannesburg, South Africa; {dagger}Lankester Botanical Garden, University of Costa Rica, P.O. Box 1031-7050 Cartago, Costa Rica; {ddagger}Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond TW9 3DS, United Kingdom; and §Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Buckhurst Road, Ascot SL5 7PY, United Kingdom

Edited by Daniel H. Janzen, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, and approved December 17, 2007 (received for review October 18, 2007)

DNA barcoding is a technique in which species identification is performed by using DNA sequences from a small fragment of the genome, with the aim of contributing to a wide range of ecological and conservation studies in which traditional taxonomic identification is not practical. DNA barcoding is well established in animals, but there is not yet any universally accepted barcode for plants. Here, we undertook intensive field collections in two biodiversity hotspots (Mesoamerica and southern Africa). Using >1,600 samples, we compared eight potential barcodes. Going beyond previous plant studies, we assessed to what extent a "DNA barcoding gap" is present between intra- and interspecific variations, using multiple accessions per species. Given its adequate rate of variation, easy amplification, and alignment, we identified a portion of the plastid matK gene as a universal DNA barcode for flowering plants. Critically, we further demonstrate the applicability of DNA barcoding for biodiversity inventories. In addition, analyzing >1,000 species of Mesoamerican orchids, DNA barcoding with matK alone reveals cryptic species and proves useful in identifying species listed in Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES) appendixes.

CITES | Kruger National Park | Mesoamerica

Freely available online through the PNAS open access option.

Author contributions: M.v.d.B., J.W., and V.S. designed research; R.L., D.B., F.P., G.G., O.M., and S.D. performed research; T.G.B. contributed new reagents/analytic tools; R.L. analyzed data; and R.L., M.v.d.B., and V.S. wrote the paper.

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

This article is a PNAS Direct Submission.

Data deposition: The sequences reported in this paper have been deposited in the GenBank database (accession nos. EU254252–EU254410 and EU213263–EU214530.

See Commentary on page 2761.

This article contains supporting information online at www.pnas.org/cgi/content/full/0709936105/DC1.

To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: v.savolainen{at}imperial.ac.uk

© 2008 by The National Academy of Sciences of the USA


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Related Commentary in PNAS:

DNA barcodes: Genes, genomics, and bioinformatics
W. John Kress and David L. Erickson
PNAS 2008 105: 2761-2762. [Extract] [Full Text]  



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W. J. Kress and D. L. Erickson
DNA barcodes: Genes, genomics, and bioinformatics
PNAS, February 26, 2008; 105(8): 2761 - 2762.
[Full Text] [PDF]