Development of DNA chip for verification of 25 microalgae collected from southern coastal region in Korea

Countless species occur in the marine microalgal domain. Some are used as health functional foods or medical products but many species are harmful such as those that cause the red tide. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct prompt and accurate identification of microalgal species. As it is quite difficult to accurately distinguish all species in terms of morphology, we performed DNA barcoding analysis using molecular markers for more accurate and rapid screening. DNA barcoding analysis, i.e., DNA chip technology, is a powerful method for studies on microalgal taxonomy and biodiversity. We used the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (mtCOI) as a barcoding gene to identify microalgal species. In this study, the diversity and phylogenetic differences among different microalgae were analyzed. Additionally, a microalgal species-specific probe was screened by 21-23 bp and the result was printed on silylated slide for use in a robotic microarrayer. As a result, we performed a DNA chip assay for each of 25 microalgal species and determined that the COI barcode gene was suitable as a marker gene, as it could identify various microalgae from the Korean South Sea by species.