Muthama Muasya University of Cape Town Application of DNA barcoding in plant taxonomy, Eastern Africa Experience
Role in biodiversity studies Identification Naming Classification Relevance to CBD Article 7: Identification & monitoring of biodiversity (Ecosystem & habitats, species & communities, genes) Facilities Herbaria with representative material Plant taxonomy in Eastern Africa
Global plant diversity Kier et al. 2005; J. Biogeography C. 12,000 species in Eastern Africa Loss of biodiversity great
Rarity of Eastern Africa Flora Kueper et al Hotspots of plant endemism Gaps exists in current plant knowledge
Status of taxonomy in Eastern Africa Regional Floras & local checklists Phenetics (overall similarity) Phylogenetics (shared common ancestry; DNA data)
Value of barcode data Plant identification Phylogenetic position for ‘new’ plant material Use of barcode data in classification and evolutionary studies
Isolepis endemics on East African mountains I. kilimanjarica I. meruensis I. keniensis
Example: Isolepis studies Mt. Kenya Mt. Meru Australia SA Tropical temperate
Barcoding: Challenges for E. Africa Taxonomic teaching/practice not using DNA Lack of molecular facilities, capacity Expense Do we really need the initiative now?
Barcoding: Opportunities for E. Africa Large flora, endemics, unique lineages Alpha taxonomy, herbarium collections Active taxonomic groups/teaching Ongoing projects offer entry point (e.g. Seeds for life, RPSUD, eastern arc & coastal forests, afro- temperate flora, Albertine Rift) One BIOTA project proposing barcoding trees of Kakamega & Budongo forests next year International funding goodwill now
Cyperus_involucratus TCTTTCTAATTTCCTGTGGATTTTTACAT-CCACCATTTTCTTTCTATAGTAATGAAAATGCTCTTGGCTCGACATAATTTGTTCTGTTCAAAAACCC----AATTTCTAATTTCTATT-----AGGTTGTCCGTAAACAGTACACGATGGAGCTCG AAGTTTGATTTTTTTA TCAAACAAGGGAAAGAATCTAGGGTTAGTGATAATTCAATT----AATTCTAATTAATTTAGACCAATTTTGTAAGTATA-TCTTAGTATCAGAATCAGAAA---AAAA-TACAATTCGAACAAG AAAAAAA--A TAGAAAGTGAAATTGTTGG-----AAACTGGTAAAA---CTATTCTGATTTTAAGGTGGAACGGGAATGAATCCTTCGTATTTATTTTATA------TTATAAAGAAGGAAATCAAAAAGAAGGG-GTGTTGCTTTCCCTTTGAAAGGAATAAAGGTCTTCAAAATAAATTTATAAACCTAAAGATTCCAAAAAGAAAAAAGAAAGGATTCCG-AACAAGAAAATACTTTTTT-AA-TTATCTCAAC-----AGTGTAATTGGATCAAATTGACAAATCTAAAAAGGGT----AGAGATATGACACACACAAAAGAGTTTAGAGACAGCTCAAGAAATTCTTTCA-----TAAGGATTTATG AACTTT-----CTAAAAATTTTTTATTTAACTTGAGTCATGAGTAAAAAAAA---TATTATGATATTTTTTTATA TAACGAAAAGGAAAAAGGA-CTCTATTTGAATCATAGTATAATTCATGATTTTCTGAGTCCATTTTGCA-----TTCTATACAGAAATTTGAATTATTTTTCTTGAGCCGTATGAGGTGAAAATTTCATTTACGTTTCTAGGGGGA-CTTTTTTT-ATC-ATAYAATGTGCCCATCTAAA [855]Cyperus_involucratus TCTTTCTAATTTCCTGTGGATTTTTACAT-CCACCATTTTCTTTCTATAGTAATGAAAATGCTCTTGGCTCGACATAATTTGTTCTGTTCAAAAACCC----AATTTCTAATTTCTATT-----AGGTTGTCCGTAAACAGTACACGATGGAGCTCG AAGTTTGATTTTTTTA TCAAACAAGGGAAAGAATCTAGGGTTAGTGATAATTCAATT----AATTCTAATTAATTTAGACCAATTTTGTAAGTATA-TCTTAGTATCAGAATCAGAAA---AAAA-TACAATTCGAACAAG AAAAAAA--A TAGAAAGTGAAATTGTTGG-----AAACTGGTAAAA---CTATTCTGATTTTAAGGTGGAACGGGAATGAATCCTTCGTATTTATTTTATA------TTATAAAGAAGGAAATCAAAAAGAAGGG-GTGTTGCTTTCCCTTTGAAAGGAATAAAGGTCTTCAAAATAAATTTATAAACCTAAAGATTCCAAAAAGAAAAAAGAAAGGATTCCG-AACAAGAAAATACTTTTTT-AA-TTATCTCAAC-----AGTGTAATTGGATCAAATTGACAAATCTAAAAAGGGT----AGAGATATGACACACACAAAAGAGTTTAGAGACAGCTCAAGAAATTCTTTCA-----TAAGGATTTATG AACTTT-----CTAAAAATTTTTTATTTAACTTGAGTCATGAGTAAAAAAAA---TATTATGATATTTTTTTATA TAACGAAAAGGAAAAAGGA-CTCTATTTGAATCATAGTATAATTCATGATTTTCTGAGTCCATTTTGCA-----TTCTATACAGAAATTTGAATTATTTTTCTTGAGCCGTATGAGGTGAAAATTTCATTTACGTTTCTAGGGGGA-CTTTTTTT-ATC-ATAYAATGTGCCCATCTAAA [855] Cyperus_laevigatus CCCGTCTAATTTTCTGTGGATTTTTACAT-CCACCATTTTCTTTCTATAGTAATGAAAATGCTCTTGGCTCGACATAATTTGTTCTGTTCAAAAAGCC----AATTTCTAATTTCTATT-----AGGTTGTCCGTAAACAGTACATGATGGAGCTCG AAGTTTGATTTTTTTA TCAAACAAGGGAAAGAATCTAGGGTTAGTGATAATTCAATT----AATTCTAATTAATTTAGACCAATTTTGTAAGTATA-TCTTAGTATCAGAATCAGAAA---AAAA-TACAATTTGAACAAG AAAAAAA-AA TATAAAGTGAAATTCTTGG-----AAACTGGTAAAA---CTATTCTGATTTTAAGGTGGAACGGGAATGAATCCTTCGTATTTATTTTATA AAGAAGGAAATCAAAAAGAAGGG-GTGTTGCTTTCCCTTTGAAAGGAATAAAGGTCTTCAAAATAA-TTTCTAAACCTAAAGATTCCAAAAAGAAAAAAGAAAGGATTCCGGAACAAGAAAATACTTTTTT-AAATTATCTCAAC-----AGTGTAATTCGATCAAATTGACAAATCTAAAAAGGTT----AGAGATAAAACAAACA-AAAAGAGTTTAGAGACAGCTCAAGAAATTCTTTCA-----TAAGGATTTATG AACTTT-----CTAAAAATTTTTTATTTAACTTGAGTCATGAGTAAAAAAAA---TATTATGAATTTTGTATATA TAACGTAAAGGAAAAGGGA-CTCTATTTGAATCATAGTATAATTCATGAATTTATGAG?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????-??????????????????????? [857]Cyperus_laevigatus CCCGTCTAATTTTCTGTGGATTTTTACAT-CCACCATTTTCTTTCTATAGTAATGAAAATGCTCTTGGCTCGACATAATTTGTTCTGTTCAAAAAGCC----AATTTCTAATTTCTATT-----AGGTTGTCCGTAAACAGTACATGATGGAGCTCG AAGTTTGATTTTTTTA TCAAACAAGGGAAAGAATCTAGGGTTAGTGATAATTCAATT----AATTCTAATTAATTTAGACCAATTTTGTAAGTATA-TCTTAGTATCAGAATCAGAAA---AAAA-TACAATTTGAACAAG AAAAAAA-AA TATAAAGTGAAATTCTTGG-----AAACTGGTAAAA---CTATTCTGATTTTAAGGTGGAACGGGAATGAATCCTTCGTATTTATTTTATA AAGAAGGAAATCAAAAAGAAGGG-GTGTTGCTTTCCCTTTGAAAGGAATAAAGGTCTTCAAAATAA-TTTCTAAACCTAAAGATTCCAAAAAGAAAAAAGAAAGGATTCCGGAACAAGAAAATACTTTTTT-AAATTATCTCAAC-----AGTGTAATTCGATCAAATTGACAAATCTAAAAAGGTT----AGAGATAAAACAAACA-AAAAGAGTTTAGAGACAGCTCAAGAAATTCTTTCA-----TAAGGATTTATG AACTTT-----CTAAAAATTTTTTATTTAACTTGAGTCATGAGTAAAAAAAA---TATTATGAATTTTGTATATA TAACGTAAAGGAAAAGGGA-CTCTATTTGAATCATAGTATAATTCATGAATTTATGAG?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????-??????????????????????? [857] Barcoding of plant diversity in the hotspot e.g. afro-alpine zones Collaboration- local & international Way forward Barcoding of plant diversity in hotspots e.g. afro-alpine zones; taxon specific (grasses) Collaboration- local & international Way forward
Actual implementation Sample collection (herbarium/museums tissue, supplementary fieldwork) Set up labs (PCR machines, etc) Laboratory data generation Incorporation of data into databank Using the databank to serve taxonomic & broader community
Outputs DNA barcode data Voucher specimens & curation DNA lab capacity Student training, publications
Asante sana Organisers Colleagues (S. Masinde, G. Mwachala, P. Muthoka, R Cowan; M van der Bank)