Identifying unknown game species: experience with nucleotide sequencing ofthe mitochondrial cytochrome b gene and a subsequent basic local alignmentsearch tool search

Game meat is often a target: for fraudulent labelling. Polymerase chain rea ction (PCR) analysis on the mitochondrial cytochrome b sequence with subseq uent restriction fragment length polymorphism is the most widely used metho d of identifying meat species. The lack of reference meat species and the p ossibility of point mutations affecting the typical restriction pattern of a species sometimes results in an analytical uncertainty. Nowadays, sequenc ing of the PCR fragment with a subsequent search in an internet-accessible database can avoid these problems. The database search results in a list of sequences in order of the highest percentage of correspondence. In this wo rk it is shown what correspondences within different vertebrate classes, or ders, families and species can be expected. Classing with the correct genus is possible, at least for game meal.