PCR-RFLP analysis has been applied to the identification of three clam species:
Ruditapesdecussatus (grooved carpet shell),
Venerupis pullastra (pullet carpet shell), and
Ruditapes philippinarum (Japanese carpet shell). PCR amplification was carried out using a set of primers designedfrom the DNA nucleotide sequences reported for
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-actins from humans and various animals.Restriction endonuclease analysis based on sequence data of the PCR products of each clam speciesrevealed the presence of species-specific polymorphic sites for
MaeIII and
RsaI endonucleases.Electrophoretic analysis of the amplicons digested with
MaeIII and
RsaI produced species-specificprofiles that allowed the genetic identification of the three clam species.Keywords: Species identification; PCR-RFLP;
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-actin gene; clam species; Ruditapes decussatus;Venerupis pullastra; Ruditapes philippinarum