LENGTH VARIATION AND BARCODING, SEQUENCING

Dec 08^th 2011

The paper that I read from the first meeting really helped me understand a lot about the research. The paper is in extensive detail of what the research is about, how it is done and the expected results.

I learned that what I will be doing is sequencing and length variation of the Moths. Sequencing is used to identify species and the relationship they have with other species. In this research I will be sequencing entire mitogenome of a specific species of Moth and determine whether or not different species are related or were once related. In the paper they worked with the mitogenome, Agehama Maharo[1] that is said to be the longest mitogenome found in any Lepidoptera. And like Mr. Adams and Ms. Urban research they are determining this particulars species’ relationship with other species of its kind.

To be able to sequence one must use the bar coding system, which is simply a method that analyses the way DNA materials are arranged. So far particular parts of the genome are said to be best with Sequencing/ Bar coding; cox1 and cox 2 [2]. The research with Agehama Maharo also used other parts of the mitogenome like atp 8 and 6, nad 3 and 6, cob to nad 6 that are strong alternatives to cox 1 in identifying closely related species[3].

In the paper I also learned the meaning of a couple of things that I didn’t understand before. Phylogeny is the study of history of an organism or evolution of genetically related group of organisms.

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[1] The Complete Mitochondrial Genome of the Near-Threatened Swallowtail,
Agehama Maharo (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae): Evaluating Sequence Variability and Sustainable Markers for Conservation Genetic Studies.

[2] The Study from Taiwan (the paper above)

[3] The Complete Mitochondrial Genome of the Near-Threatened Swallowtail,
Agehama Maharo (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae): Evaluating Sequence Variability and Sustainable Markers for Conservation Genetic Studies