Additional highly polymorphic microsatellite (STR) loci for estimating kinship in rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta)

Area of Science:

• Genetics and Genomics
• Primate Biology
• Population Genetics

Background:

• Rhesus macaques are a vital model organism in biomedical research.
• Accurate genetic markers are crucial for managing captive populations and understanding wild macaque genetics.
• Previous genetic studies in rhesus macaques have limitations in discriminatory power.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and characterize novel short tandem repeat (STR) loci in rhesus macaques.
• To assess the utility of these new STR loci for population genetic analyses.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of a combined set of STR loci for distinguishing relatedness.

Main Methods:

• Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) amplification of 34 newly investigated STR loci.
• Analysis of genetic heterogeneity and amplification success across loci.
• Comparison of genetic profiles to differentiate between related and unrelated individuals.

Main Results:

• Approximately one-third of the 34 novel STR loci showed reliable amplification and high genetic heterogeneity.
• A panel of these informative STR loci, combined with previously studied ones, could reliably distinguish related from unrelated pairs.
• The current STR panel could differentiate parent/offspring and other relative pairs in most cases.

Conclusions:

• Newly identified STR loci significantly enhance genetic analysis capabilities in rhesus macaques.
• These markers are valuable tools for kinship analysis and population structure studies in this species.
• Additional hypervariable STR loci may be necessary for resolving finer degrees of relatedness, such as distinguishing half-sibs from full-sibs.