PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Tell me your barcode, and I will tell you what palm you are

2013-12-30
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Marco Ballardini
m_ballardini@hotmail.com
Pensoft Publishers
Tell me your barcode, and I will tell you what palm you are

Reliable and cost-effective species recognition is the dream of many scientists, and has important applications. While the use of morphological features is often uncertain, and can lead to misidentification, species identification based on the composition of short DNA sequences -the so-called "DNA barcodes"- has proven to be the safest way to reach this goal, both in animals and in many groups of plants.

Palms belonging to the genus Phoenix, including the economically-important date palm Phoenix dactylifera, i.e. the main fruit crop in North Africa and the Middle East, are amongst the groups of flowering plants characterized by difficulties in species discrimination based on their look. Moreover, given their high interfertility, they can easily hybridize whereas they come into contact, generating even more confusion for palm scientists.

To overcome such an issue, an international team of scientists examined a small region of chloroplast DNA, looking for a potential "barcode" for this group of plants. By screening over 130 palm individuals from 13 out of the 14 species of the genus Phoenix, they found enough variation in the composition of the DNA, to be able to identify correctly eight species out of 13, and more than 82% of the individuals. The study was published in the open access journal ZooKeys.

'It's a very encouraging result', said Marco Ballardini, a biologist at that time research assistant at the Consiglio per la Ricerca e la Sperimentazione in Agricoltura (CRA-FSO) in Sanremo, Italy, and first author of this study. 'Finding the appropriate DNA barcode for Phoenix palms has several practical applications, ranging from the conservation of endemic and/or endangered species, like the Canary Island date palm, or the Cretan date palm, to the identification of hybrids having an ornamental value'.

The identification of palm individuals at the species level, as well as the detection of hybrids, can also be very helpful for preserving the genetic characteristics. Consequently, as in the case of date palm, the fruit quality of cultivated stocks, is one of the most interesting returns of this kind of study.

'To achieve a 100% success in identifying Phoenix palms, we have to analyze a few more regions of DNA, especially in the case of closely related species. Moreover, as the chloroplast DNA is inherited only through the maternal lineage, DNA of paternal origin should also be taken into consideration, in order to detect all possible hybrids', concluded Ballardini.



INFORMATION:



Original source:

Ballardini M, Mercuri A, Littardi C, Abbas S, Couderc M, Ludeña B, Pintaud JC (2013) The chloroplast DNA locus psbZ-trnfM as a potential barcode marker in Phoenix L. (Arecaceae). In: Nagy ZT, Backeljau T, De Meyer M, Jordaens K (Eds) DNA barcoding: a practical tool for fundamental and applied biodiversity research. ZooKeys 365: 71–82. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.365.5725



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

The value of museum collections for development of DNA barcode libraries

2013-12-30
The value of museum collections for development of DNA barcode libraries The ability to sequence the DNA of plants and animals has revolutionized many areas of biology, but the unstable character of DNA poses difficulties for sequencing specimens in museum collection ...

Museum bird DNA 'ready for use' in Naturalis Biodiversity Center

2013-12-30
Museum bird DNA 'ready for use' in Naturalis Biodiversity Center DNA barcoding is used as an effective tool for both the identification of known species and the discovery of new ones. The core idea of DNA barcoding is based on the fact that just a small ...

DNA barcoding to monitor marine mammal genetic diversity

2013-12-30
DNA barcoding to monitor marine mammal genetic diversity Marine mammals are flagship and charismatic species, very attractive for the general public. Nowadays, they are also considered as highly relevant sentinel of the marine realm. Their presence and their welfare in an area ...

Toward a molecular explanation for schizophrenia

2013-12-30
Toward a molecular explanation for schizophrenia Tel Aviv University researchers find inhibition of a basic cellular process may contribute to the mysterious disease Surprisingly little is known about schizophrenia. It was only recognized as a medical ...

Imaging technology could unlock mysteries of a childhood disease

2013-12-30
Imaging technology could unlock mysteries of a childhood disease By the time they're two, most children have had respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and suffered symptoms no worse than a bad cold. But for some children, especially premature babies and those with ...

Fetal alcohol syndrome heart defects may be caused by altered function, not structure

2013-12-30
Fetal alcohol syndrome heart defects may be caused by altered function, not structure Study utilizing animal model is published in the American Journal of Physiology - Heart and Circulatory Physiology Bethesda, Md. (Dec. 30, 2013)—Recent data shows that more than 500,000 ...

I'll have what they're having: Study finds social norms influence food choices

2013-12-30
I'll have what they're having: Study finds social norms influence food choices According to report published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Philadelphia, PA, December 30, 2013 – Is obesity a socially transmitted disease? In order ...

Slower-paced meal reduces hunger but affects calorie consumption differently

2013-12-30
Slower-paced meal reduces hunger but affects calorie consumption differently According to new study of normal-weight and overweight or obese individuals published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Philadelphia, PA, December 30, 2013 ...

The secret to fewer doctor office visits after 70 -- play high school sports

2013-12-30
The secret to fewer doctor office visits after 70 -- play high school sports Fit in 50 years: participation in high school sports best predicts one's physical activity after age 70 Seventy year olds who don't frequently visit the doctor have something unexpected ...

NASA's TRMM satellite sees new Tropical Depression forming near Australia's Kimberly coast

2013-12-28
NASA's TRMM satellite sees new Tropical Depression forming near Australia's Kimberly coast Low pressure System 98S appears ripe to form into Tropical Cyclone 05S as NASA satellite imagery is showing some hot towering clouds in the storm and heaviest rains south of ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Are lifetimes of big appliances really shrinking?

Pink skies

Monkeys are world’s best yodellers - new research

Key differences between visual- and memory-led Alzheimer’s discovered

% weight loss targets in obesity management – is this the wrong objective?

An app can change how you see yourself at work

NYC speed cameras take six months to change driver behavior, effects vary by neighborhood, new study reveals

New research shows that propaganda is on the rise in China

Even the richest Americans face shorter lifespans than their European counterparts, study finds

Novel genes linked to rare childhood diarrhea

New computer model reveals how Bronze Age Scandinavians could have crossed the sea

Novel point-of-care technology delivers accurate HIV results in minutes

Researchers reveal key brain differences to explain why Ritalin helps improve focus in some more than others

Study finds nearly five-fold increase in hospitalizations for common cause of stroke

Study reveals how alcohol abuse damages cognition

Medicinal cannabis is linked to long-term benefits in health-related quality of life

Microplastics detected in cat placentas and fetuses during early pregnancy

Ancient amphibians as big as alligators died in mass mortality event in Triassic Wyoming

Scientists uncover the first clear evidence of air sacs in the fossilized bones of alvarezsaurian dinosaurs: the "hollow bones" which help modern day birds to fly

Alcohol makes male flies sexy

TB patients globally often incur "catastrophic costs" of up to $11,329 USD, despite many countries offering free treatment, with predominant drivers of cost being hospitalization and loss of income

Study links teen girls’ screen time to sleep disruptions and depression

Scientists unveil starfish-inspired wearable tech for heart monitoring

Footprints reveal prehistoric Scottish lagoons were stomping grounds for giant Jurassic dinosaurs

AI effectively predicts dementia risk in American Indian/Alaska Native elders

First guideline on newborn screening for cystic fibrosis calls for changes in practice to improve outcomes

Existing international law can help secure peace and security in outer space, study shows

Pinning down the process of West Nile virus transmission

UTA-backed research tackles health challenges across ages

In pancreatic cancer, a race against time

[Press-News.org] Tell me your barcode, and I will tell you what palm you are