EXTENSIVE GENOMIC CONSERVATION OF CATTLE MICROSATELLITE HETEROZYGOSITY IN SHEEP

We report the evaluation of 1036 bovine microsatellite primer pairs fo r their suitability as linkage markers in sheep. Approximately 58% (60 5/1036) of bovine primer pairs amplified a locus in sheep. Sixty-seven per cent (409/605) of amplified loci were detected as polymorphic. Ma rker heterozygosity, allele number and range of allele sizes were sign ificantly lower in sheep than cattle sampled in this study. However, m edian fragment size was similar, These data suggest that high-resoluti on comparative linkage maps between closely related species can be con structed relatively efficiently.