title: PCR primers for an aldolase-B intron in acanthopterygian fishes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Nuclear DNA sequences provide genetic information that complements studies using mitochondrial DNA. Some 'universal' primer sets have been developed that target introns within protein-coding loci, but many simultaneously amplify introns from paralogous loci. Refining existing primer sets to target a single locus could circumvent this problem.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Aldolase intron 'G' was amplified from four fish species using previously described primer sets that target several loci indiscriminately. Phylogenetic analyses were used to group these fragments and other full-length aldolase proteins from teleost fishes into orthologous clades and a primer set was designed to target specifically an intron within the aldolase-B locus in acanthopterygian fishes. DNA amplifications were tried in a variety of acanthopterygian fishes and amplification products, identifiable as aldolase-B intron 'G', were observed in all atherinomorph and percomorph taxa examined. Sequence variation within this locus was found within and among several species examined.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Using 'universal' primer sets coupled with phylogenetic analyses it was possible to develop a genetic assay to target a specific locus in a variety of fish taxa. Sequence variation was observed within and among species suggesting that this targeted assay might facilitate interspecific and intraspecific comparisons.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Program in Marine Science, Baruch Institute and School of the Environment, University of South Carolina, Columbia 29208, USA. quattro@mail.biol.sc.edu
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Quattro
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: K J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Oswald
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics*; D005399:Fishes / Q000235:genetics; D005634:Fructose-Bisphosphate Aldolase / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D007438:Introns / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010473:Perciformes / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D005634:Fructose-Bisphosphate Aldolase