Identification of markers associated with quantitative trait loci in chickens by DNA fingerprinting

Three approaches for identifying VNTR alleles associated with quantitative traits in chickens are described. One approach is based on the comparison of well-defined selected and non-selected control strains. The second approach is based on analyzing chickens within a breeding population ranked according to specific traits and the third approach involves segregation analysis. In this latter approach a large number of offspring of a single male segregating for a quantitative trait are produced and tested for trait association of the male DNA fingerprinting bands. In all cases pooled DNA samples of birds, rather than individual samples, are analyzed and band intensity is assumed to reflect the relative frequency of an allele. Examples from the literature and from our laboratory indicate that these methods permit the identification of DNA fingerprinting bands associated with quantitative traits. After developing locus-specific probes for these bands it should ultimately be possible to detect and map quantitative trait loci.