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Molecular Identification of Three Indian Snake Species Using Simple PCR–RFLP Method *
Author(s) -
Dubey Bhawna,
Meganathan P. R.,
Haque Ikramul
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
journal of forensic sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.715
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1556-4029
pISSN - 0022-1198
DOI - 10.1111/j.1556-4029.2010.01384.x
Subject(s) - naja , biology , restriction fragment length polymorphism , amplicon , endangered species , python (programming language) , amplified fragment length polymorphism , species identification , polymerase chain reaction , zoology , restriction enzyme , evolutionary biology , computational biology , genetics , dna , gene , ecology , genetic diversity , venom , habitat , medicine , population , computer science , operating system , environmental health
Three endangered Indian snake species, Python molurus, Naja naja , and Xenochrophis piscator are known to be significantly involved in illegal trade. Effective authentication of species is required to curb this illegal trade. In the absence of morphological features, molecular identification techniques hold promise to address the issue of species identification. We present an effective PCR–restriction fragment length polymorphism method for easy identification of the three endangered snake species, Python molurus, Naja naja , and Xenochrophis piscator . A 431‐bp amplicon from cytochrome b gene was amplified using novel snake‐specific primers following restriction digestion with enzymes Mbo II and Fok I. The species‐specific reference fragment patterns were obtained for the target species, which enabled successful identification of even highly degraded shed skin sample confirming the utility of the technique in case of poor‐quality DNA. The assay could be effectively used for forensic authentication of three Indian snake species and would help strengthen conservation efforts.