A multiplex PCR mini-barcode assay to identify processed shark products in the global trade

Protecting sharks from overexploitation has become global priority after widespread population declines have occurred. Tracking catches and trade on a species-specific basis has proven challenging, in part due to difficulties in identifying processed shark products such as fins, meat, and liver oil....

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:PloS one Vol. 12; no. 10; p. e0185368
Main Authors: Cardeñosa, Diego, Fields, Andrew, Abercrombie, Debra, Feldheim, Kevin, Shea, Stanley K. H., Chapman, Demian D.
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: United States Public Library of Science 11.10.2017
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Subjects:
Animal Fins - physiology
Animals
Assaying
Atmospheric sciences
Bioassay
Biological products
Biology and Life Sciences
Carcharhinus
Carcharhinus falciformis
Carcharhinus longimanus
Carcharodon carcharias
China
Chondrichthyes
CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species)
Commerce
Commercial fishing
Cytochrome
Cytochrome oxidase I
Data collection
Deoxyribonucleic acid
DNA
DNA - genetics
DNA barcoding
DNA Barcoding, Taxonomic - methods
DNA sequencing
Ecology and Environmental Sciences
Endangered & extinct species
Endangered species
Fins
Fish
Fisheries management
Fishing
Fragments
Gene sequencing
Identification
Innovations
International trade
Internationality
Law enforcement
Liver
Meat
Medicine and Health Sciences
Multiplexing
Museums
Overexploitation
Oxidase
Physical Sciences
Physiological aspects
Polymerase chain reaction
Polymerase Chain Reaction - methods
Population decline
Protected species
Regulations
Research and Analysis Methods
Sharks
Sharks - genetics
Skin
Species Specificity
Sustainable use
Testing
Wildlife conservation
New York
United States > US
ISSN:1932-6203, 1932-6203
Online Access:Get full text
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Description
Summary:Protecting sharks from overexploitation has become global priority after widespread population declines have occurred. Tracking catches and trade on a species-specific basis has proven challenging, in part due to difficulties in identifying processed shark products such as fins, meat, and liver oil. This has hindered efforts to implement regulations aimed at promoting sustainable use of commercially important species and protection of imperiled species. Genetic approaches to identify shark products exist but are typically based on sequencing or amplifying large DNA regions and may fail to work on heavily processed products in which DNA is degraded. Here, we describe a novel multiplex PCR mini-barcode assay based on two short fragments of the cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene. This assay can identify to species all sharks currently listed on the Convention of International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES) and most shark species present in the international trade. It achieves species diagnosis based on a single PCR and one to two downstream DNA sequencing reactions. The assay is capable of identifying highly processed shark products including fins, cooked shark fin soup, and skin-care products containing liver oil. This is a straightforward and reliable identification method for data collection and enforcement of regulations implemented for certain species at all governance levels.
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Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
ISSN:1932-6203
1932-6203
DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0185368