Identification of Acer rubrum using amplified fragment length polymorphism

Area of Science:

• Forensic Science
• Molecular Biology
• Botany

Background:

• Botanical forensic evidence identification is crucial for investigations.
• Sequence information is often unavailable for plant species.
• Reproducible DNA profiling methods are needed for plant evidence.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP) for botanical forensic applications.
• To establish AFLP profiles for Acer rubrum and related species.
• To assess the accuracy of AFLP in identifying plant evidence and linking it to a source.

Main Methods:

• Genomic DNA extraction from leaf material using DNeasy Plant Miniprep Kit.
• Double digestion of DNA with EcoRI and MseI restriction enzymes, followed by adapter ligation.
• Pre-amplification and selective amplification using modified AFLP protocol.
• Separation of DNA fragments by capillary electrophoresis on CEQ 8000 DNA Fragment Analyzer.

Main Results:

• AFLP profiles were generated for 40 Acer rubrum trees and five other species.
• Species-specific peaks were identified for Acer rubrum.
• 15 out of 16 (93.8%) blind samples were correctly identified within a closed set.
• AFLP data demonstrated utility in determining plant species and associating samples to a source.

Conclusions:

• AFLP analysis is a rapid and reproducible method for DNA profiling of botanical forensic evidence, even without prior sequence data.
• AFLP can accurately identify plant species and link evidence to specific locations or suspects in forensic investigations.
• This technique offers a valuable tool for forensic science, enhancing the analysis of plant-derived evidence.