Application of polymerase chain reaction for fetal gender determination using cervical mucous secretions in the cow

Abstract

In the current study we aimed to use PCR to investigate the presence of fetal DNA in the bovine (Bos taurus) cervical secretions and maternal serum, and to assess the effectiveness of this method in fetal gender determination. Pregnant uteri and pre-slaughter maternal blood samples were collected from 21 Holstein Frisian cows in a local abattoir. Overall, 13 male and 8 female fetuses were included in the study. Cervical mucus was sampled at the laboratory. After DNA extraction, the PCR amplified a 280bp fragment from the X-chromosome and a 217bp fragment from the Y-chromosome based on a sex-related polymorphism in the amelogenin locus. The presence of fetal Y-chromosome was confirmed in seven out of 13 cervical mucus samples collected from cows with male fetuses. Overall test sensitivity for correct sex determination based on PCR assay on cervical samples was equal to 71.4 ± 2%. In contrast, no fetal Y-chromosome DNA was detected in maternal serum samples from cows with male fetuses. This is the first report on validating the presence of fetal DNA material in the bovine cervical mucus and its potential usefulness for fetal sexing. Further investigations are needed to maximize the accuracy and evaluate the practicality of this approach.