DNA Fingerprinting Studies of Teals and Ducks A report prepared for the Department of Conservation

The multilocus DNA fingerprinting technique has been applied to a range of tissue samples from sub-antarctic teals and hyrids between Grey and Mallard ducks. DNA has been extracted from whole blood which was frozen immediately, Tris/NaCI/EDTA preserved tissue and heart and wing muscle which has been preserved in 70% ethanol and later stored in an utlrafreezer. Three multilocus probes, 33.6, 33.15 and pV47-2; were hybridised to genomic DNA from these samples which was digested with the restriction enzyme Hae lll . DNA fingerprints of high quality were obtained for the Campbell Island teal material which had been frozen immediately. These membranes were hybridized to three multilocus probes which were originally isolated from human DNA. Approximately 35 restriction fragments were found in the 23 to 2kb size range for the probe 33.15. This is high in comparison to many published studies. The hybrid between the Auckland and Cambell Island populations was highly distinctive. Fingerprints of lesser quality were obtained for the Tris/NaCI/EDTA material of Auckland Island teals, although these were scorable. DNA was able to be extracted from the ethanol-preserved duck material. However, this was not of a sufficient standard to be able to use the fingerprinting technique. Instead, using random 10 base primers, a PCR technique resulted in the amplification of polymorphic annonymous nuclear DNA sequences. A number of fragments in the 5 to 0.3 kb size range were amplified. These appear to be polymorphic in different individuals. This could potentially provide the kinds of nuclear markers needed to investigate the extent of hybridisation between these species. 4