Pcr-amplified and Agarose Gel Electrophoresis Analysis of the Mitochondrial Coi Gene of Epomophorus Gambianus in Mubi, Nigeria

This study was aimed to provide an initial step toward molecular characterization and phylogenetic analysis of Epomophorus gambianus, a fruit bat in the family Pterpodidae, in Mubi, Nigeria. Genomic DNA was extractedfromthe bat’s membrane tissue in the two colonies, using standard protocols. The amplified products were resolvedon1.5% Agarose Gel Electrophoresis and visualized under ultraviolet illumination. The PCR amplificationof cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) Gene, as the target gene, was successfully achieved by using bat-specific COI primer sequence according to Irwin et al. (1991). This was confirmed by the presence of distinct bands at approximately 650 base pairs, consistent with the expected size for mammalian COI fragments. The clear andwell- resolved banding patterns from this study indicate high-quality DNA extraction and efficient PCR amplification. This study also has shown high quality DNA, with the expected PCR fragment at ~650 bp, as the correct COI barcode fragment for sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of E. gambianus bats and validates the suitabilityof the COI gene as a reliable molecular marker for the identification and genetic studies of E. gambianus. Additionally, the data generated contributes to the growing database of mitochondrial sequences useful for biodiversityconservation, species identification, and future evolutionary studies of fruit bat populations in the region.