Document Type
Conference Paper in Published Proceedings
Department
Biology
Publication Date
5-2007
Abstract
We describe a simple single-reaction technique for identifying the sex of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) based on the PCR amplification of a zinc-finger intron using one pair of primers. Although Sry-coamplification confirmed sex identities, use of the Sry marker was unnecessary due to dimorphic alleles on the X and Y chromosomes at the zinc-finger locus. Insertions in intron 7 of the Y-linked allele (417 bp) make it nearly twice as long as the X-linked allele (236 bp) and thus the amplification products are easily discernable by simple agarose gel electrophoresis. The relatively short size of these products makes them useful for DNA-based sex identification from potentially low-yield tissue samples (e.g., hair, feces). This technique will provide ecologists, conservation geneticists and wildlife managers with a mechanism to readily and reliably identify the sex of un- known white-tailed deer tissue samples, and likely similar samples from other cervid species.
Recommended Citation
Lindsay, Alec R. Ph. D. and Belant, Jerrold L., "A simple and improved PCR-based technique for white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) sex identification" (2007). Faculty Works. 6.
https://commons.nmu.edu/facwork/6
Included in
Genetics Commons, Molecular Genetics Commons, Other Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons, Population Biology Commons