Barcoding of Some Plant Species Using rbcL Gene ‎in the Mediterranean Oolitic Sand Dunes West of Alexandria, Egypt

Abstract

In the Mediterranean Basin, Oolitic sand dunes extend along the northeastern coast of Africa between Gulf of Gabes (Tunisia) and the Nile Delta (Egypt) attenuating coastal vulnerability to storms and saltwater intrusion and protecting the inland infrastructure. Psammophytes are the typical and distinctive plants for dunes habitat; they are the primary driver for dune growth and stabilization through trapping sand particles with their shoot and root systems. Anthropocene fingerprint may create an overall environment favorable for non-psammophytes invasion and subsequent alteration in the sand dunes habitat structure and functions. The authentication of sand dunes-inhabiting species should be a priority for conservation or restoration measures concerning sand dunes habitat. The present study is the first rbcL-based DNA barcoding documentation for 20 plant species inhabiting the vulnerable Egyptian oolitic sand dune habitats in Burg El-Arab area, west of Alexandria. The results highlighted the applicability of the rbcL locus sequence for species authentication and recognition of the examined plant taxa sharing the same habitat. The phylogenetic analysis of the rbcL barcodes polymorphism revealed the current taxonomic relationships between the assigned species. However, the ‎results add valuable information to the authentication of sand dune plants where it provided the first rbcL barcodes for species growing in the Egyptian oolitic sand dune-habitat in Egypt of which 6 were submitted for the first time to Gene Bank.