Skip to main content

Micro-CT X-rays do not fragment DNA in preserved bird skins

Paredes, Ursula M., Prys-Jones, Robert, Adams, Mark, Groombridge, Jim J., Kundu, Samit, Agapow, Paul-Michael, Abel, Richard L. (2012) Micro-CT X-rays do not fragment DNA in preserved bird skins. Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research, 50 (3). pp. 247-250. ISSN 0947-5745. (doi:10.1111/j.1439-0469.2012.00657.x) (The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided) (KAR id:48321)

The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided.
Official URL:
http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0469.2012.00657.x

Abstract

Most zoological systematics studies are currently based on morphological features, molecular traits or a combination of both to reconstruct animals’ phylogenetic history. Increasingly, morphological studies of museum specimens are using X-ray computed tomography to visualize internal morphology, because of its ‘non-destructive’ nature. However, it is not known whether CT can fragment the size of DNA extracted from museum specimens, as has been demonstrated to occur in living cells. This question is of paramount importance for collections based research because X-rays may reduce the amount of data obtainable from specimens. In our study, we tested whether exposure of museum bird skins to typical CT X-ray energies (for visualization of the skeleton) increased DNA strand fragmentation, a key factor for the success of downstream molecular applications. For the present study, we extracted DNA from shavings of 24 prepared and dried bird skins (100+ years) footpads before and after CT scanning. The pre- and post-CT fragmentation profiles were assessed using a capillary electrophoresis high-precision instrument (Agilent Bioanalyzer). Comparison of the most common strand length in each DNA sample (relative mass) revealed no significant difference unexposed and exposed tissue (paired t-test p = 0.463). In conclusion, we found no further quantifiable degradation of DNA strand length under standard X-ray exposure obtained from our bird skins sample. Differences in museum preservation techniques probably had a greater effect on variation of pre-CT DNA fragmentation.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1111/j.1439-0469.2012.00657.x
Uncontrolled keywords: DNA fragmentation;Micro-CT;museum skin DNA;PCR;X-ray microtomography
Subjects: Q Science > QH Natural history > QH426 Genetics
Q Science > QH Natural history > QH75 Conservation (Biology)
Divisions: Divisions > Division of Human and Social Sciences > School of Anthropology and Conservation > DICE (Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology)
Depositing User: Jim Groombridge
Date Deposited: 08 May 2015 14:32 UTC
Last Modified: 16 Nov 2021 10:19 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/48321 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

University of Kent Author Information

  • Depositors only (login required):

Total unique views for this document in KAR since July 2020. For more details click on the image.