DETECTION OF SPECIES-SPECIFIC GENETIC-MARKERS IN FARM-ANIMALS THROUGHRANDOM AMPLIFIED POLYMORPHIC DNA (RAPD)

The potential use of random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) was evalu ated as a source of development of alternative genetic markers for stu dying variation in buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) and other related species of the Artiodactyla family Bovidae, in order to ascertain genetic rel ationships and diversities. Fourteen arbitrary primers were used to am plify DNA fragments in four species such as Indian Zebu cattle (Bos in dicus), buffalo (Bubalus bubalis), sheep (Ovis aries) and goat (Capra hircus). Clear and distinct RAPD patterns with a higher level of polym orphism was detected between species, while fewer polymorphisms were f ound within the species. Species were subsequently scored for presence or absence of RAPD fragments and Jaccard's similarity coefficients we re calculated to quantify the genetic divergence among the species. Wa gner parsimony analysis of the RAPD data for 542 markers resulted in o ne most parsimonious tree which revealed very low similarity among the four species analysed. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science B.V.