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Successful analysis of AFLPs from non-lethally sampled wing tissues in butterflies

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Abstract

We demonstrate the successful generation and analysis of amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) profiles from small samples of wing tissue in two butterfly species. With slight modifications of commercial DNA extraction and AFLP kit protocols, we produced highly repeatable AFLP profiles from these non-destructive tissue samples. Error rates were comparable to those previously reported for AFLPs generated from lethally obtained thoracic tissue. Furthermore, AFLP profiles obtained from thoracic and wing tissues of the same individuals were identical. Our results indicate that AFLP analysis is a viable method of obtaining genetic data from threatened populations of butterflies, and potentially other insects, using small, non-destructive tissue samples.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to Sylvie Desjardins and Dennis St. John for coordinating sample collection, and to the University of British Columbia NAPS unit for performing fragment analyses. This work was supported by funds from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, the University of Western Ontario, Okanagan University College, and a partnership of the World Wildlife Fund and Environment Canada.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond St., London, ON, N6A 5B7, Canada

    Nusha Keyghobadi, Lindsay A. Crawford & Sheri A. Maxwell

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  1. Nusha Keyghobadi
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  2. Lindsay A. Crawford
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  3. Sheri A. Maxwell
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Correspondence to Nusha Keyghobadi.

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Keyghobadi, N., Crawford, L.A. & Maxwell, S.A. Successful analysis of AFLPs from non-lethally sampled wing tissues in butterflies. Conserv Genet 10, 2021–2024 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10592-009-9884-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10592-009-9884-2

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