Delineating Bacteria Using DNA Barcoding
Madhulika Ramesh, Aparajita Sen, Meenakshi Vachher, Arti Nigam
Abstract
DNA Barcoding permits rapid and accurate identification of bacterial species. It employs short, conserved sequences of marker genes especially the 16S rRNA, rpoB, dnaK, gyrB and recA, known as DNA barcodes that can be efficiently used in taxonomical and phylogenetic analyses. DNA barcoding along with high throughput sequencing technology possess plethora of applications including distinguishing pathogenic vs. beneficial bacteria, biodiversity studies and economic applications. The advancements in bioinformatics and high-quality databases for DNA barcodes further aids in the analysis of samples with curated gene libraries. In this review we attempt to highlight the importance of this novel technique of DNA barcoding and its applications for delineating bacteria.