Isolation and characterization of the bovine microsatellite loci

Microsatellite loci were isolated using five repetitive probes for Korean native cattle. Eleven microsatellite loci were developed based on a biotin hybrid capture method, and enrichment of the genomic libraries (AAAT, TG, AG, T, and TGC repeats) was performed using Sau3AI adapters. The isolated markers were tested in two half-sib Korean cattle families and four imported breeds (Angus, Limousine, Holstein, and Shorthorn). Nine informative microsatellite loci were observed, and two microsatellite loci were revealed as monomorphic in Korean cattle. In the imported breeds, however, all of the markers were informative. In total, 213 alleles were obtained at the 11 loci across five breeds, and the average number of alleles found per locus, considering all populations, was 4.26. Heterozygosity was 0.71 (expected) and 0.57 (observed). The range of the polymorphic information content for the markers in all cattle populations was 0.43-0.69. Eleven percent of genetic variation was attributed to differentiation between populations as determined by the mean F (ST) values. The remaining 89% corresponded to differences among individuals. The isolated markers may be used to identify and classify the local breeds on a molecular basis.