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DNA Barcoding Methods for Land Plants

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DNA Barcodes

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 858))

Abstract

DNA barcoding in the land plants presents a number of challenges compared to DNA barcoding in many animal clades. The CO1 animal DNA barcode is not effective for plants. Plant species hybridize frequently, and there are many cases of recent speciation via mechanisms, such as polyploidy and breeding system transitions. Additionally, there are many life-history trait combinations, which combine to reduce the likelihood of a small number of markers effectively tracking plant species boundaries. Recent results, however, from the two chosen core plant DNA barcode regions rbcL and matK plus two supplementary regions trnH–psbA and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) (or ITS2) have demonstrated reasonable levels of species discrimination in both floristic and taxonomically focused studies. We describe sampling techniques, extraction protocols, and PCR methods for each of these two core and two supplementary plant DNA barcode regions, with extensive notes supporting their implementation for both low- and high-throughput facilities.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to Michelle Hollingsworth, Alan Forrest, David Erickson, and John Kress for helpful comments on this manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada

    Aron J. Fazekas & Steven G. Newmaster

  2. Biodiversity Institute of Ontario & Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada

    Maria L. Kuzmina

  3. Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK

    Peter M. Hollingsworth

Authors
  1. Aron J. Fazekas
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  2. Maria L. Kuzmina
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  3. Steven G. Newmaster
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  4. Peter M. Hollingsworth
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Aron J. Fazekas .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. National Museum of Natural History, Dept. Botany, Smithsonian Institution, 10th St. & Constitution Ave. NW.,, Washington, 20560-0166, District of Columbia, USA

    W. John Kress

  2. National Museum of Natural History, Dept. Botany, Smithsonian Institution, 10th St. & Constitution Ave. NW.,, Washington, 20560-0166, District of Columbia, USA

    David L. Erickson

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Fazekas, A.J., Kuzmina, M.L., Newmaster, S.G., Hollingsworth, P.M. (2012). DNA Barcoding Methods for Land Plants. In: Kress, W., Erickson, D. (eds) DNA Barcodes. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 858. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-61779-591-6_11

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-61779-591-6_11

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  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, Totowa, NJ

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-61779-590-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-61779-591-6

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