Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) Region Targeted Molecular Characterization of Macroalgal Diversity Along the Overlooked Expanse of Gulf of Kachchh, India

The purpose of the current study is to report and provide the first record of the macroalgal diversity observed along the underrated northern coast of the Gulf of Kachchh (GoK), India, backed by its molecular study. The biodiversity data existing for the northern belt of the GoK, encompassing the Kachchh coast, is quite flimsy in contrast to the substantial amount of seaweed diversity data obtainable for its southern counterpart. Four Chlorophytes were collected from the selected sites and subjected to molecular characterization using internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions, (ITS1 & ITS2). The ITS1 and ITS2 regions were amplified using ITS1 and ITS4 primers. The purified PCR products were sequenced. The G + C ratio of the ITS region ranged from 40.76 to 57.34%. The purity ratio ranged from 1.68 to 2.10, while the DNA concentration varied from 30 to 168 ng/µL for 4 different species tested. The average yield of the DNA recorded for these Chlorophytes was 5.45 µg. The phylogenetic tree was created by aligning the ITS sequence using MEGA 7 software following the maximum likelihood method. The taxonomic identity of all these 4 macroalgal species was successfully determined based on PCR results. The GenBank accession numbers [(MT452260), (MT452261), (MT484071), and (MT452262)] were obtained for all the four sequences. Overall, the northern region is species-poor in comparison with the southern belt of the Gulf of Kachchh, yet it bears some economically viable macroalgal species making it an important ecological area to be studied and explored.