RANDOM AMPLIFIED POLYMORPHIC DNA PATTERNS WITHIN HOLSTEIN COWS AND AMONG VARIOUS CATTLE BREEDS

This study was conducted to investigate random amplified polymorphic D NA (RAPD) patterns within Holstein cows and among various cattle breed s. To find RAPD markers related to milk production trait, genomic DNA was extracted from blood samples of 21 Holstein cows with varying milk production records. The amplified DNA by PCR (polymerase chain reacti on) was analysed by 1.5% agarose gel electrophoresis. The amplified DN A was 1 to 10 strands in number and 0.1 similar to 2.3 kb in size when 100 kinds of random primers were used. With 15 random primers, amplif ication did not occur, and with 84 random primers, banding patterns of amplified DNA were all the same among the templates, RAPD polymorphis m was detected in only one random primer. But there was no significant relationship between the RAPD polymorphic bands and milk production t rait. To assess RAPD patterns among cattle breeds, genomic DNA was pre pared from eight cattle breeds and used as templates in PCR reactions. In the case of 7 random primers, there were no differences among bree ds. Three primers produced polymorphic banding patterns among breeds, in which a potential RAPD marker specific to Korean native cattle and Holstein was detected.