Metagenetics allows the study of marine biodiversity through sequencing of a target gene shared by a pool of different species of organisms. This approach is useful to study the origin of invasive and cosmopolite species and to identify unknown, cryptic and of the species for which classical taxonomic tools are limited. Nematodes, the dominant meiofaunal taxon (up to 90% of meiofauna in the deep sea), have been largely utilized as indicators of environmental changes due to their ubiquity, high abundance, high taxonomic and functional diversity. However, so far, the biodiversity of free-living deep-sea nematodes has been studied almost exclusively on the basis of their morphological features, not allowing to recognize cryptic species and, thus, effecting the actual estimates of biodiversity. In the present study we set up and optimized a molecular approach, based on DNA extraction and purification of nematodes recovered from different culture, coastal and deep-sea sediments worldwide. Pyrosequencing technology of the eukaryotic 18S rRNA gene was utilized to evaluate the estimates of the nematode biodiversity, which were compared to those obtained by using the classical taxonomic approach.

Metagenetic analysis of deep-sea nematodes: sensitivity, accuracy and methodological set up

RICCIONI, GIULIA;
2012

Abstract

Metagenetics allows the study of marine biodiversity through sequencing of a target gene shared by a pool of different species of organisms. This approach is useful to study the origin of invasive and cosmopolite species and to identify unknown, cryptic and of the species for which classical taxonomic tools are limited. Nematodes, the dominant meiofaunal taxon (up to 90% of meiofauna in the deep sea), have been largely utilized as indicators of environmental changes due to their ubiquity, high abundance, high taxonomic and functional diversity. However, so far, the biodiversity of free-living deep-sea nematodes has been studied almost exclusively on the basis of their morphological features, not allowing to recognize cryptic species and, thus, effecting the actual estimates of biodiversity. In the present study we set up and optimized a molecular approach, based on DNA extraction and purification of nematodes recovered from different culture, coastal and deep-sea sediments worldwide. Pyrosequencing technology of the eukaryotic 18S rRNA gene was utilized to evaluate the estimates of the nematode biodiversity, which were compared to those obtained by using the classical taxonomic approach.
2012
“Molecular tools for monitoring marine invasive species” MOL-TOOLS
Corinaldesi C.; Tangherlini M.; Riccioni G.; Bianchelli S.; Dell’Anno A.; Danovaro R.
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11585/393673
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