Molecular prey identification in Central European piscivores.
Molecular prey identification in Central European piscivores.
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DOI：
10.1111/1755-0998.12436
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发表时间：
2016-01
影响因子：
7.7
通讯作者：
Traugott M
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Thalinger B;Oehm J;Mayr H;Obwexer A;Zeisler C;Traugott M
饮食分析是研究食鱼动物生态学的一个重要方面，对于评估它们在水生和陆地生态系统食物网中的功能作用至关重要。然而，使用传统的猎物残骸形态分析方法来鉴定饮食样本中的鱼类残骸可能非常耗时且不能令人满意。在这里，我们提出了一个两步多重 PCR 系统，由六种检测组成，可以快速、灵敏和特异性地检测膳食样品中的鱼类 DNA。该方法涵盖了原产于中欧淡水的 78 种鱼类和七鳃鳗物种，能够识别 31 个物种、6 个属、2 个科、2 个目和 2 个鱼类科群。所有目标类群均从 25 个模板分子中成功扩增，并且在针对栖息于水生环境的各种无脊椎动物和脊椎动物进行测试时，每种检测都是特异性的。多重 PCR 系统的适用性在一项饲养试验中进行了评估，其中在欧亚水獭粪便中物种特异性猎物识别方面，其性能优于形态学猎物分析。此外，在现场收集的翠鸟和大鸬鹚的粪便样本和反刍颗粒中检测到了多种鱼类，证明了该方法的广泛适用性。总之，该多重 PCR 系统为评估中欧食鱼动物的营养生态提供了一种高效、易于使用且经济高效的工具。此外，其中描述的多重PCR和引物将适用于需要以高灵敏度和特异性检测目标鱼种DNA的任何地方。
Diet analysis is an important aspect when investigating the ecology of fish‐eating animals and essential for assessing their functional role in food webs across aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. The identification of fish remains in dietary samples, however, can be time‐consuming and unsatisfying using conventional morphological analysis of prey remains. Here, we present a two‐step multiplex PCR system, comprised of six assays, allowing for rapid, sensitive and specific detection of fish DNA in dietary samples. This approach encompasses 78 fish and lamprey species native to Central European freshwaters and enables the identification of 31 species, six genera, two families, two orders and two fish family clusters. All targeted taxa were successfully amplified from 25 template molecules, and each assay was specific when tested against a wide range of invertebrates and vertebrates inhabiting aquatic environments. The applicability of the multiplex PCR system was evaluated in a feeding trial, wherein it outperformed morphological prey analysis regarding species‐specific prey identification in faeces of Eurasian otters. Additionally, a wide spectrum of fish species was detected in field‐collected faecal samples and regurgitated pellets of Common Kingfishers and Great Cormorants, demonstrating the broad applicability of the approach. In conclusion, this multiplex PCR system provides an efficient, easy to use and cost‐effective tool for assessing the trophic ecology of piscivores in Central Europe. Furthermore, the multiplex PCRs and the primers described therein will be applicable wherever DNA of the targeted fish species needs to be detected at high sensitivity and specificity.