title: Limited efficiency of  universal mini-barcode primers for DNA amplification from desert reptiles,  birds and mammals.
abstract: In  recent years, DNA barcoding has emerged as a powerful tool for species  identification. We report an extended validation of a universal DNA mini-barcode  for amplification of 130-bp COI segments from 23 specimens collected from a  desert environment, including 11 reptiles, five mammals and seven birds.  Besides the standard double-annealing protocol, we also tested a more stringent  single-annealing protocol. The PCR success rate for the amplification of the  mini-barcode region was: mammals (4/5), reptiles (5/11) and birds (4/7). These  findings demonstrate the limited utility of universal primers for  mini-barcoding, at least for these vertebrate taxa that we collected from the  Saudi Arabian desert.
authors: Analytical and Molecular Bioscience Research Group, Department of Biochemistry, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors: I A
authors: IA
authors: Arif
authors: H A
authors: HA
authors: Khan
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Al Sadoon
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Shobrak
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001717:Birds / Q000235:genetics*; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics*; D058893:DNA Barcoding, Taxonomic / Q000379:methods*; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000378:metabolism*; D003889:Desert Climate; D004587:Electrophoresis, Agar Gel; D008322:Mammals / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D012104:Reptiles / Q000235:genetics*; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D004247:DNA