VALUATION OF DIFFERENT COMBINATIONS OF OLIGONUCLEOTIDE PROBES AND RESTRICTION ENZYMES TO GENERATE DNA FINGERPRINTS REFLECTING GENETIC-VARIABILITY IN DIFFERENT STRAINS OF CHICKEN

The objectives of this study were to evaluate (1) the genetic variabil ity within and between lines of chicken by DNA fingerprinting and (2) the compatibility and accuracy of results revealed by different combin ations of restriction enzymes and oligonucleotide probes. Individuals from 12 lines were investigated using the enzymes AluI and HinfI and t he oligonucleotide probes (CA)(8), (CXC)(5), (GGAT)(4) and (GACA)(4) t o produce the DNA fingerprints. Bandsharing values of comparisons of b anding patterns of individuals within populations and of representativ e banding patterns of pooled DNA between the populations were used as measures of genetic similarity/variability. Bandsharing within populat ions calculated for certain combinations of enzymes and probes were hi ghly correlated to the reference value provided by all eight combinati ons of enzymes and probes. This correlation was lower for comparisons between the populations. It was confirmed that only one combination of enzyme and probe was sufficient to get a reliable estimation of the g enetic variability within populations. To evaluate the genetic relatio nship between populations the combinations of AluI or HinfI with four probes provided results of the same level of reliabiltiy.