Molecular identification of Pelawan Merah (Tristaniopsis merguensis Griff.) as an endemic plant from Bangka Belitung Island using chloroplast DNA rbcL gene

Abstract

The DNA barcoding from this molecular identification will be submitted to the NCBI Genbank database to become a standard in the identification of Tristaniopsis merguensis Griff based on the rbcL gene analysis. This research will be used as a crucial information to identify the endemic species of Tristaniopsis merguensis Griff. which has no conservation status yet on IUCN Red List & Threated species. The stages of this research were collecting samples of Pelawan Merah leaves from Hutan Pelawan Namang, Central Bangka Regency. Molecular analysis was carried out to obtain the marker gene of Tristaniopsis merguensis Griff. The DNA barcoding of Tristaniopsis merguensis Griff yielded a 516 base-pair long sequence of rbcL gene. This is the first report of Tristaniopsis merguensis Griff DNA barcoding in Indonesia and the barcode has registered in the GenBank. This DNA barcoding also aims to register the plant biodiversity in supporting of the Barcode of Life (CBOL). Based on the results of BLAST DNA analysis, Pelawan Merah from Bangka Island has similarity up to 100% with Tristaniopsis sp. found in Australia. Furthermore, the phylogenetic tree analysis reveals that the Tristaniopsis merguensis Griff. in this study was very closely related to other species of genus Tristaniopsis. This suggested that the rbcL gene analysis could identify Tristaniopsis at the genetic level or higher and other DNA barcoding region analysis as Internal Transcribed Spacer gene was necessary to complete the Pelawan Merah identification.