GENETIC-MARKERS FOR THE BOOROOLA FECUNDITY (FEC) GENE IN SHEEP

Animals from the Booroola line of Australian Merino sheep are characte rized by a high ovulation rate that can be attributed to the presence of a codominant allele (Fec(B)). The specific function of the gene has not been identified. Effective use of the trait within the sheep bree ding industry requires one or more genetic markers that can distinguis h between alternative alleles at the locus Fec. With a combination of DNA minisatellite markers and polymorphic protein markers, a cluster o f seven minisatellite fragments has been identified as being linked to the Fec gene and to the ovine A blood group locus. The minisatellite fragments have been derived from multilocus probes and hence cannot be used to define the chromosomal location of the Fec gene or to serve a s diagnostic markers for Fee. The derivation of cloned single locus ma rkers from the minisatellite fragments will enable finer scale mapping of the Fec and the A blood group locus in sheep.