DNA TECHNIQUES APPLIED TO THE IDENTIFICATION OF PINCTADA FUCATA PEARLS FROM UWAJIMA, EHIME PREFECTURE, JAPAN

摘要

The genetic material deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is a useful indicator in identifying pearl species, provided the extraction and amplification of a targeted component is possible from amounts of pearl powder small enough to render the technique essentially nondestructive. This study builds on similar work carried out by Meyer et al. (2013) but focuses on akoya cultured pearls from Uwajima in Ehime Prefecture, Japan. Here, we also target the 16S rRNA genes, the mitochondrial component of DNA to code 16S rRNA (ribosomal ribonucleic acid). We successfully amplified the 16S rRNA gene from the mantle tissues of donor and host pearl oysters and from 510 mg of pearl powder samples. The results indicate a match with the Pinctada fucata 16S rRNA gene.