29 research outputs found
Selection test at nine koala TLRs.
<p>*Significant purifying selection p ≤0.05</p><p>Selection test at nine koala TLRs.</p
A rapid multiplex PCR assay for presumptive species identification of rhinoceros horns and its implementation in Vietnam
<div><p>Rhinoceros (rhinos) have suffered a dramatic increase in poaching over the past decade due to the growing demand for rhino horn products in Asia. One way to reverse this trend is to enhance enforcement and intelligence gathering tools used for species identification of horns, in particular making them fast, inexpensive and accurate. Traditionally, species identification tests are based on DNA sequence data, which, depending on laboratory resources, can be either time or cost prohibitive. This study presents a rapid rhino species identification test, utilizing species-specific primers within the cytochrome b gene multiplexed in a single reaction, with a presumptive species identification based on the length of the resultant amplicon. This multiplex PCR assay can provide a presumptive species identification result in less than 24 hours. Sequence-based definitive testing can be conducted if/when required (e.g. court purposes). This work also presents an actual casework scenario in which the presumptive test was successfully utlitised, in concert with sequence-based definitive testing. The test was carried out on seized suspected rhino horns tested at the Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources, the CITES mandated laboratory in Vietnam, a country that is known to be a major source of demand for rhino horns. This test represents the basis for which future ‘rapid species identification tests’ can be trialed.</p></div
Comparison of TLR polymorphisms between koala, New Zealand Robin, pig and human.
<p>Comparison of TLR polymorphisms between koala, New Zealand Robin, pig and human.</p
PCR primers for nine TLR genes in the koala.
<p>PCR primers for nine TLR genes in the koala.</p
Neighbour-joining phylogenetic analysis of TLRs.
<p>Ten TLR amino acid sequences of the koala compared to TLRs in eight species, including three eutherians (human, cattle and house mouse), two marsupials (Tasmanian devil and gray short-tailed opossum), chicken, Xenopus and zebrafish. The bootstrap values are displayed at each branch point.</p
Cytochrome b markers and their corresponding primers.
<p>Cytochrome b markers and their corresponding primers.</p
Multiplex PCR assay protocol: Identifying an unknown rhino specimen.
<p>Multiplex PCR assay protocol: Identifying an unknown rhino specimen.</p
A 2% agarose gel run at IEBR showing the amplicons for 16 unknown horn samples using the multiplex PCR assay.
<p>The positive controls are known samples from Indian rhino (M.39431.001; 310 bp amplicon) white rhino (M.47191.001; 266 bp amplicon) and black rhino (M.46281.001; 222 bp amplicon). Based on this gel, all of the unknown samples are from white rhino (14 out of 16) and black rhino (2 out of 16) horn. NTC = no template control; IR = Indian rhino amplicon; WR = white rhino amplicon; BR = black rhino amplicon.</p
Identification key to interpret the results of the multiplex PCR assay.
<p>Identification key to interpret the results of the multiplex PCR assay.</p
The unknown flying-fox (<i>Pteropus</i> sp.) found in Sydney in 2015.
<p>A. ventral; B. dorsal views and C. close-up of the face.</p