Use of Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) for Genetic Evaluation in Dairy Cattle

News source: Department of Agriculture and Forestry Extension, MARD, Vietnam.
For further information: Journal of Agriculture and Rural Development No.2, 2001, 2001-03-01

Productive Genotypes Identified

PCR and RFLP methods were used to identify genotypes of B-Lactoglobulin (B-LG) and Kappa-Casein (K-CN) in 145 blood samples from cattle and 33 cattle embryos.

1) Three genotypes of B-LG gene were detected by digestion of amplified fragments with endonuclease Hae 111. They were expressed as AA, AB, and BB, whose frequency was 10.3, 33.8 and 55.9 %, respectively. The frequency of allele A (27.2 %) was lower than that of allele B (72.8 %).

BB with Highest Dairy Productivity

Among these genotypes, BB type had the highest dairy productivity, followed by AB and AA in this order.

2) As to the genotypes of K-CN, three types were detected, namely AA, AB, and BB, whose frequency were 54.5, 27.3 and 18.2 %, respectively, for bulls, and 67.2, 29.7, and 3.1%, respectively, for dairy cows. The frequency of allele A (82.0 %) was higher than that of allele B (17.9 %).

3) Twenty females and 9 males were sex-discriminated from a total of 33 cattle embryos at the age of 7 days. That is, the sex of 88% of embryos was successfully discriminated.

4) Thus it was concluded that the PCR-RFLP method can be used in breeding programs to increase dairy productivity and to discriminate the sex of cattle embryos at the age of 7 days.

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