PCR SCREENING FOR CARRIERS OF BOVINE LEUKOCYTE ADHESION DEFICIENCY (BLAD) AND URIDINE MONOPHOSPHATE SYNTHASE (DUMPS) IN ARGENTINE HOLSTEIN CATTLE

BLAD (Bovine Leukocyte Adhesion Deficiency) and DUMPS (Deficiency of U ridine Monophosphate Synthase) are monogenic autosomal, recessive inhe rited diseases of Holstein cattle. Single nucleotide changes (point mu tations) responsible for the genetic disorders were detected by polyme rase chain reaction coupled with restriction fragment length polymorph ism assays (PCR-RFLP). Using oligonucleotide primers, DNA fragments of predicted sizes were amplified, and the products' specificity was ass essed by nucleotide sequencing. Mutations were detected in DNA samples from bovine blood and semen by the presence or absence of restriction sites within the PCR amplification products (Tag I, Hae III for BLAD, Ava I for DUMPS). The test included 104 bulls and 950 cows of Argenti nean Holstein breed. Defective alleles frequencies were as follows: 2. 88 % BLAD in bulls used in artificial insemination, 1.79 % in cows; 0. 96 % DUMPS in bulls and 0.11 % in cows.