MICROSATELLITES - NOVEL TOOLS FOR THE RESOLUTION OF BOVINE PATERNITY CASES

A bovine half-sib family was investigated in order to study the utilit y of self-developlped and other microsatellites. Both with classical b lood groups and microsatellites the paternity of the alleged sire was rejected for one of the calves. Its true father could be traced. The n ew sire-dam-offspring triplet was found compatible using both research methods. Several microsatellites are very polymorphic and when combin ed they exhibit high exclusion probabilities. For present parentage te sting they are useful complementary tools to blood groups. In future t hey eventually will replace the latter.