[Establishment of DNA Genetic Marker Identification System for Plant Evidence]

Area of Science:

• Molecular Biology
• Botany
• Forensic Science

Background:

• Accurate plant species identification is crucial for various scientific disciplines.
• Traditional morphological identification can be challenging and time-consuming.
• DNA-based methods offer a more precise and efficient alternative.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a robust DNA-based species identification system for plant evidence.
• To evaluate the efficacy of specific genetic markers (rbcL, matK, ITS) for plant identification.
• To establish optimal marker combinations for accurate species discrimination.

Main Methods:

• Collected and morphologically identified 200 common Shanghai plant species.
• Designed and amplified primers for rbcL, matK, and ITS gene segments.
• Analyzed PCR amplicons using agarose gel electrophoresis and DNA sequencing.
• Assessed marker universality and identification capacity.

Main Results:

• Amplification success rates: rbcL (99.5%) > matK (92.5%) > ITS (86.0%).
• Combined rbcL and matK identified most species to the genus or higher.
• ITS provided unstable results as a unique marker but was a valuable supplement.
• The combination of rbcL, matK, and ITS achieved the highest identification capacity, distinguishing species to the genus or lower.

Conclusions:

• The developed DNA identification system utilizing rbcL, matK, and ITS markers demonstrates excellent universality for plant evidence.
• This system enables the accurate identification of most plant species to the genus or lower taxonomic level.
• The findings support the use of this multi-marker approach for reliable plant species identification in diverse applications.