Application of PCR-SSCP to Species Identification of Fishery Products

Abstract

A method of DNA analysis has been developed to verify authenticity of labelled raw material of canned fish or in products made from closely related fish species (tuna, eel, salmon, trout and sturgeon). Short segments (123–358 bp) of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene were amplified by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and analysed by single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) to get species-specific patterns of single-stranded DNA (ssDNA). DNA strands were separated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and visualised by silver staining. Differentiation between four eel species was possible. Each of three types of sturgeon caviar gave a characteristic pattern of ssDNA. Canned sardine, herring, tuna and other species expressed specific bands of ssDNA. © 1997 SCI.