| Title |
DNA Fingerprinting of Pearls to Determine Their Origins
|
|---|---|
| Published in |
PLOS ONE, October 2013
|
| DOI | 10.1371/journal.pone.0075606 |
| Pubmed ID | |
| Authors |
Joana B. Meyer, Laurent E. Cartier, Eric A. Pinto-Figueroa, Michael S. Krzemnicki, Henry A. Hänni, Bruce A. McDonald |
| Abstract |
We report the first successful extraction of oyster DNA from a pearl and use it to identify the source oyster species for the three major pearl-producing oyster species Pinctada margaritifera, P. maxima and P. radiata. Both mitochondrial and nuclear gene fragments could be PCR-amplified and sequenced. A polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) assay in the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region was developed and used to identify 18 pearls of unknown origin. A micro-drilling technique was developed to obtain small amounts of DNA while maintaining the commercial value of the pearls. This DNA fingerprinting method could be used to document the source of historic pearls and will provide more transparency for traders and consumers within the pearl industry. |
X Demographics
The data shown below were collected from the profiles of 22 X users who shared this research output. Click here to find out more about how the information was compiled.
Geographical breakdown
| Country | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Japan | 3 | 14% |
| United States | 3 | 14% |
| United Kingdom | 1 | 5% |
| Spain | 1 | 5% |
| Mexico | 1 | 5% |
| Unknown | 13 | 59% |
Demographic breakdown
| Type | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Members of the public | 14 | 64% |
| Scientists | 5 | 23% |
| Science communicators (journalists, bloggers, editors) | 3 | 14% |
Mendeley readers
The data shown below were compiled from readership statistics for 49 Mendeley readers of this research output. Click here to see the associated Mendeley record.
Geographical breakdown
| Country | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Turkey | 1 | 2% |
| Singapore | 1 | 2% |
| French Polynesia | 1 | 2% |
| Canada | 1 | 2% |
| Unknown | 45 | 92% |
Demographic breakdown
| Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Researcher | 13 | 27% |
| Student > Master | 9 | 18% |
| Professor > Associate Professor | 5 | 10% |
| Student > Bachelor | 4 | 8% |
| Student > Ph. D. Student | 4 | 8% |
| Other | 7 | 14% |
| Unknown | 7 | 14% |
| Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 22 | 45% |
| Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology | 6 | 12% |
| Chemistry | 4 | 8% |
| Environmental Science | 3 | 6% |
| Business, Management and Accounting | 1 | 2% |
| Other | 4 | 8% |
| Unknown | 9 | 18% |