The effectivity of rbcL marker to identify invasive alien plant species; La eficacia del marcador rbcL para identificar especies de plantas exóticas invasoras

Identifying and managing pathways for the introduction of alien species is one of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework targets. The alternative approach to identifying the invasive alien plant species (IAPS) can be conducted using the DNA barcoding method. However, not all markers are effective in identifying the specific species. Hence, finding the right and effective marker to identify the specific species for correct identification is critical. This study examined the effectivity of ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase large subunit (rbcL) marker to identify IAPS. Several primer sequences of rbcL were retrieved from the literature and then analyzed in silico by aligning the primer to the whole chloroplast DNA sequence of the target species. A selected pair of primer sequences was then employed as a marker to identify five IAPS. The sequencing results were aligned to the reference database obtained from NCBI by using BLAST. The results showed that all the species were success to be amplified using rbcL gene. The sequence results showed the query cover and per identity 99-100% of the target species. This result suggests that rbcL markers could precisely identify the IAPS target. Therefore, further research on protocol development and extensive use of DNA barcoding in IAPS identification. © 2025 Fundacion ProAves Carrera. All rights reserved.