Probability of random sire exclusion using microsatellite markers for parentage verification

Area of Science:

• Genetics
• Animal Science

Background:

• Microsatellite sequences in the bovine genome are highly polymorphic.
• These markers are proposed for parentage verification and individual identification in cattle.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate five highly polymorphic microsatellite markers for parentage verification in 14 UK cattle breeds.
• To assess the combined efficacy of these markers in excluding incorrect sires.

Main Methods:

• Utilized five microsatellite loci (BoLA DRB3, steroid 21-hydroxylase, FSH beta subunit, ETH131, HEL6).
• Employed a statistical approach accounting for Hardy-Weinberg and linkage disequilibrium.
• Determined sire exclusion probability using observed genotype frequencies.

Main Results:

• Individual markers showed probabilities between 0.62 and 0.72 for identifying parentage errors.
• Combined use of the five markers achieved an average probability of 0.99 for excluding an incorrect sire across breeds.

Conclusions:

• The evaluated microsatellite markers are highly effective for parentage verification in cattle.
• The combined use of these five markers significantly enhances the accuracy of sire exclusion, crucial for breeding programs.