Application of molecular markers for detection of South American camelid illegal traffic

DI ROCCO F1., POSIK D.M.2, 3, RIPOLI M.V. 2, DÍAZ S. 2, GIOVAMBATTISTA G 2, ARBELETCHE VIDAL-RIOJA L. 1

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Congreso; 23rd World Congress International Society of Forensic Science; 2009

International Society of Forensic genetics

South American camelids  comprises two wild forms of camelids, guanaco (Lama guanicoe) and vicuna(Vicugna vicugna), and their respective domestic derivatives llama (L. glama) and alpaca (L. pacos) Specie specific identification techniques by analysis of DNA  have great utility in detection of  animal illegal traffic. The aim of the present study was determine by DNA analysis the specific origin of a South American camelids group and to evaluate the usefulness of the applied techniques in resolving cases of illegal fauna traffic. Genomic DNA was obtained by DNAzol technique from 25 domestic camelid samples proceeding of Jujuy province. Two mitochondrial gene fragments and 7 microsatellites were typed. Obtained mitochondrial sequences were then compared with camelid   sequences available at the GenBank .Phylogenetic analysis was carried out with the Network software. Mitochondrial results were non conclusive evidencing that 18  samples presented haplotypes corresponding to guanaco haplogroup and the remaining 7 belonged to vicuña linage. The same as casework samples, reference llama and alpaca sequences also grouped in both guanaco and vicuña haplogroups. The comparison between microsatellite allelic frequencies of casework samples and llama reference samples revealed different distributions in two microsatellite loci .This results exclude the possibility that samples could be of llama origen. In conlusion, mitochondrial DNA not allows species identification in camelids. Results obtained from mitochondrial DNA are in agreement with previous studies which describe the occurrence of extensive hybridization between domestic forms. Compared with mitochondrial data, microsatellites resulted more useful for camelid species discrimination.