A genomic-based workflow for eDNA assay development for a critically
endangered turtle, Myuchelys georgesi
Abstract
Environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis has become a popular conservation tool
for detecting rare and elusive species. eDNA assays typically target
mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) due to its high copy number per cell and its
ability to persist in the environment longer than nuclear DNA.
Consequently, the development of eDNA assays has relied on mitochondrial
reference sequences available in online databases, or in cases where
such data are unavailable, de novo DNA extraction and sequencing of
mtDNA. In this study, we designed eDNA primers for the critically
endangered Bellinger River turtle (Myuchelys georgesi) using a
bioinformatically assembled mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) derived
from a reference genome. We confirmed the accuracy of this assembled
mitogenome by comparing it to a Sanger-sequenced mitogenome of the same
species, and no base pair mismatches were detected. Using the
bioinformatically extracted mitogenome, we designed two 20 bp primers
that target a 152-base-pair-long fragment of the cytochrome oxidase 1
(CO1) gene and a 186-base-pair-long fragment of the cytochrome B (CytB)
gene. Both primers were successfully validated in silico, in vitro, and
in situ.