Molecular identification of Gekko gecko (black-spotted tokay geckoes) and its counterfeit based on mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene sequences

Abstract Background Authenticity identification has always been one of the hot research issues in the identification of traditional Chinese medicine. Since the Chinese medicinal materials are usually processed and stored dry, the DNA degradation is serious, and the standard DNA barcoding length (648bp) or longer gene fragments are difficult to amplify, which makes it impossible to conduct molecular identification of the Chinese medicinal materials. In this study, we used the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene (< 200bp) as a barcode to identify Gekko gecko (black-spotted tokay geckoes) and its counterfeits. We collected a total of 63 samples from 17 species of Gekko gecko (black-spotted tokay geckoes) and its counterfeit, including not previously been involved in any molecular identification analyses. Results All samples were obtained 189 bp 16S rRNA sequences. The content of A + T (60%) was higher than that of G + C (40%). According to phylogenetic analysis and genetic distance, the genuine Gekko gecko (black-spotted tokay geckoes) samples collected in this study constitute a monophyly and can be distinguished from its counterfeits, including red-spotted tokay geckoes with very similar morphology. Conclusions Using the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene can effectively identify Gekko gecko (black-spotted tokay geckoes) and its counterfeits, providing technical reference for the quality evaluation of Gekko gecko (black-spotted tokay geckoes) and clinical medication containing Gekko gecko (black-spotted tokay geckoes) components.