Abstract
Aim: To demonstrate the first DNA barcode and molecular diversity of bird Sternula saundersi (Saunders's tern) populations collected from the Red Sea coast at the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Methodology: The mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene was isolated and sequenced from 26 different individuals of S. saundersi, whose blood samples were collected from two different areas at the Red Sea coast of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Also, the genetic diversity of 26 individuals were investigated using highly polymorphic nuclear markers, i.e., inter simple sequence repeat [ISSR] technique.
Results: The COI gene sequences of all 26 individuals were documented and submitted to the GenBank database. Five unique single nucleotide polymorphisms were found in all individuals of S. saundersi that were not observed in other species of the genus Sternula. Consequently, these five nucleotides can be used as a distinctive DNA fingerprint of S. saundersi. Additionally, it was possible to identify molecular diversity within different populations from two different areas using eight different ISSR markers.
Interpretation: The present data demonstrate the power of COI marker gene in identifying S. saundersi, i.e., it can be utilized to discriminate between different species of the genus Sternula. In addition, highly polymorphic nuclear markers (ISSR) were demonstrated to have significant power to accurately distinguish between individuals collected from different widely spaced areas.