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An Assessment of the Utility of Universal and Specific Genetic Markers for Opium Poppy Identification
Author(s) -
Lee Eun J.,
Hwang In K.,
Kim Nam Y.,
Lee Kyung L.,
Han Myun S.,
Lee Yang H.,
Kim Mu Y.,
Yang Moon S.
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.1556-4029.2010.01423.x
Subject(s) - papaver , opium poppy , poppy , papaveraceae , biology , opium , thebaine , genetics , internal transcribed spacer , botany , intergenic region , gene , ribosomal rna , genome , codeine , alkaloid , morphine , pharmacology , political science , law
The proper identification of illicit plants such as Papaver somniferum L (opium poppy) is important for law enforcement agencies. The identification of opium poppy was presently tested using 10 genetic markers that are universal for all plants or specific to a few poppy plants. The genetic distances of universal markers such as nuclear internal transcribed spacer (ITS), 18S rRNA, plastid rbc L, and trn L‐ trn F intergenic spacer (IGS) of 14 species included in the Papaveraceae and Fumariaceae family were acquired by sequence comparisons. Both the ITS region and trn L‐ trn F IGS showed high levels of interspecific divergence. Six Papaver genera‐specific markers were developed from coding regions involved in morphine biosynthesis. Three markers (TYDC, NCS, and BBE) produced amplicons only in opium poppy, providing a presence/absence test for opium poppy, while three additional markers (CYP80B1, SAT, and COR) were genus specific. These 10 markers might be useful for the forensic DNA analysis of opium poppy.