APPLICATION OF MICROSATELLITE MULTIPLEX PANELS FOR PARENTAGE VERIFICATION IN WATER BUFFALOES AND CATTLE

Abstract

The Philippine Carabao Center has made available the country’s first paternity testing service for buffaloes and cattle that aimed to address pedigree errors that could lower the accuracy of breeding value prediction in genetic evaluations. The testing was upgraded from a singleplex into a multiplex panel to make it more efficient. Thus, this study aimed to utilize 16 microsatellite markers developed into four multiplex panels to conduct parentage verification in different buffaloes and cattle breeds. Also, the study conducted throughput and cost analysis to measure the time-efficiency and cost-effectiveness of the test. DNA fragments were amplified using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and then genotyped through fragment analysis using the ABI 3500xL Genetic Analyzer. Allele sizing and parentage assignment were done using GeneMapper and Cervus software. At 99% strict confidence, of the 20 offspring examined, 3 had matched parent-pairs, 8 had matched dams, 4 had matched sires, and 1 had reassigned parent-pair. However, the findings have revealed that certain of the offspring’s assigned parents do not conform to their pedigree records. These findings emphasize the sensitivity and reliability of multiplex panels in detecting mismatches and correctly assigning true parentage. Hence, applying multiplex panels in genetic testing could achieve high throughput with minimal resource input. This initiative significantly enhances genetic evaluation systems by ensuring accurate pedigree information and promoting efficient genotyping schemes.