DNA Extraction and Amplification from Contemporary Polynesian Bark-Cloth

Abstract

BackgroundPaper mulberry has been used for thousands of years in Asia and Oceania for making paper and bark-cloth, respectively. Museums around the world hold valuable collections of Polynesian bark-cloth. Genetic analysis of the plant fibers from which the textiles were made may answer a number of questions of interest related to provenance, authenticity or species used in the manufacture of these textiles. Recovery of nucleic acids from paper mulberry bark-cloth has not been reported before.MethodologyWe describe a simple method for the extraction of PCR-amplifiable DNA from small samples of contemporary Polynesian bark-cloth (tapa) using two types of nuclear markers. We report the amplification of about 300 bp sequences of the ITS1 region and of a microsatellite marker.ConclusionsSufficient DNA was retrieved from all bark-cloth samples to permit successful PCR amplification. This method shows a means of obtaining useful genetic information from modern bark-cloth samples and opens perspectives for the analyses of small fragments derived from ethnographic materials.

Research Article An optimized protocol for DNA extraction in plants with a high content of secondary metabolites, based on leaves of Mimosa tenuiflora (Willd.) Poir. (Leguminosae).

“…In fact, soluble tannins and other contaminants might attach DNA leading to irreversible oxidation at temperatures above 60°C. Supporting this evidence, the utilization of lower temperatures were successful for the extraction of DNA from Broussonetia papyrifera (Moraceae) (Moncada et al, 2013).…”

Characterization of microsatellite markers for Broussonetia papyrifera (Moraceae)

“…These samples are deposited at the University of Chile, and one sample (BQUCH0152) has a voucher (SGO162505) at the herbarium of the National Museum of Natural History, Chile. Total DNA was extracted from young silica gel–dried leaves following the cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) extraction protocol ( Lodhi et al, 1994 ) and modified as described in Moncada et al (2013) . Approximately 1 cm 2 of tissue was homogenized, mixed with extraction buffer (50 mM EDTA, 100 mM Tris-HCl, 0.3 M NaCl, 2.0% [w/v] CTAB, 0.5% [v/v] 2-mercaptoethanol [pH 8.0]), and incubated at 65°C for 25 min, followed by organic extraction.…”

Tracking Austronesian expansion into the Pacific via the paper mulberry plant

“…(18) have demonstrated the need for specific, targeted sampling and full analysis of archaeological dates and distributions of commensal species that can reveal erroneous assumptions and errors in our interpretations of phylogeographic patterns and reconstructions of prehistoric human dispersals in the Pacific made based on limited sampling. The application of ancient DNA methods to identify the haplotypes in pre-European samples and artifacts made of tapa (19) will also assist in clarifying or confirming these interpretations from modern and historic samples and present exciting opportunities.…”