A Streamlined, Bi-Organelle, Multiplex PCR Approach to Species Identification: Application to Global Conservation and Trade Monitoring of the Great White Shark, Carcharodon carcharias

Authors

Demian D. Chapman, Nova Southeastern University
Debra Abercrombie, Nova Southeastern University
Christophe J. Douady, Dalhousie University - Canada; The Queen's University - Belfast, United Kingdom
Ellen K. Pikitch, Wildlife Conservation Society
Michael Stanhope, Queen's University - Belfast, United Kingdom
Mahmood S. Shivji, Nova Southeastern UniversityFollow

ResearcherID

G-4080-2013

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Conservation Genetics

ISSN

1566-0621

Publication Date

2003

Keywords

Great white sharks, Multiplex PCR, Shark conservation, Species identification

Abstract

The great white shark, Carcharodon carcharias, is the most widely protected elasmobranch in the world, and is classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN and listed on Appendix III of CITES. Monitoring of trade in white shark products and enforcement of harvest and trade prohibitions is problematic, however, in large part due to difficulties in identifying marketed shark parts (e.g., dried fins, meat and processed carcasses) to species level. To address these conservation and management problems, we have developed a rapid, molecular diagnostic assay based on species-specific PCR primer design for accurate identification of white shark body parts, including dried fins. The assay is novel in several respects: It employs a multiplex PCR assay utilizing both nuclear (ribosomal internal transcribed spacer 2) and mitochondrial (cytochrome b) loci simultaneously to achieve a highly robust measure of diagnostic accuracy; it is very sensitive, detecting the presence of white shark DNA in a mixture of genomic DNAs from up to ten different commercially fished shark species pooled together in a single PCR tube; and it successfully identifies white shark DNA from globally distributed animals. In addition to its utility for white shark trade monitoring and conservation applications, this highly streamlined, bi-organelle, multiplex PCR assay may prove useful as a general model for the design of genetic assays aimed at detecting body parts from other protected and threatened species.

DOI

10.1023/A:1024771215616

Volume

4

Issue

4

First Page

415

Last Page

425

Comments

©2003 Kluwer Academic Publishers

Additional Comments

US Department of Commerce grant #: R/LRB- 54

NSUWorks Citation

Demian D. Chapman, Debra Abercrombie, Christophe J. Douady, Ellen K. Pikitch, Michael Stanhope, and Mahmood S. Shivji. 2003. A Streamlined, Bi-Organelle, Multiplex PCR Approach to Species Identification: Application to Global Conservation and Trade Monitoring of the Great White Shark, Carcharodon carcharias .Conservation Genetics , (4) : 415 -425. https://nsuworks.nova.edu/occ_facarticles/382.