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Buzan E, Potušek S, Urzi F, Pokorny B, Šprem N. Genetic characterisation of wild ungulates: successful isolation and analysis of DNA from widely available bones can be cheap, fast and easy. Zookeys 2020; 965:141-156. [PMID: 32973384 PMCID: PMC7483325 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.965.54862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2020] [Accepted: 08/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Genetic characterisation of wild ungulates can be a useful tool in wildlife management and in obtaining a greater understanding of their biological and ecological roles in a wider spatiotemporal context. Different ways of optimising methodologies and reducing the costs of genetic analyses using widely available bone tissues collected within regular hunting allocations were examined. Successful isolation and analysis of DNA from widely available bones can be cheap, fast and easy. In particular, this study explored the possibility of using bones for extracting high quality nuclear DNA for microsatellite analysis. The utility of applying a modified demineralisation process using two commercially available DNA isolation kits, which differ significantly in price, was evaluated. The sample sets included bones and, for comparison, muscle tissues from four wild ungulate species: chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra), roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), wild boar (Sus scrofa), and Alpine ibex (Capra ibex). For the recent bones, these results confirmed that the DNA concentrations and microsatellite amplification were sufficiently high, even when using low-cost kits, after prior demineralisation. For old bones, prior demineralisation and use of a specially designed isolation kit led to a more successful extraction of DNA. Besides reducing kit-related costs, low-cost kits are much faster and therefore make genetic analysis more efficient.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Buzan
- University of Primorska, Faculty of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Information Technologies, Glagoljaška 8, 6000, Koper, SloveniaUniversity of PrimorskaKoperSlovenia
- Environmental Protection College, Trg mladosti 7, 3320, Velenje, SloveniaEnvironmental Protection CollegeVelenjeSlovenia
| | - Sandra Potušek
- University of Primorska, Faculty of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Information Technologies, Glagoljaška 8, 6000, Koper, SloveniaUniversity of PrimorskaKoperSlovenia
| | - Felicita Urzi
- University of Primorska, Faculty of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Information Technologies, Glagoljaška 8, 6000, Koper, SloveniaUniversity of PrimorskaKoperSlovenia
| | - Boštjan Pokorny
- Environmental Protection College, Trg mladosti 7, 3320, Velenje, SloveniaEnvironmental Protection CollegeVelenjeSlovenia
- Slovenian Forestry Institute, Večna pot 2, 1000, Ljubljana, SloveniaUniversity of ZagrebZagrebSlovenia
| | - Nikica Šprem
- Department of Fisheries, Apiculture, Wildlife Management and Special Zoology, University of Zagreb, Faculty of Agriculture, Svetošimunska cesta 25, 10000, Zagreb, CroatiaUniversity of ZagrebZagrebCroatia
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