Cross-species amplification of human microsatellite markers in pig-tailed and stump-tailed macaques

Abstract

Microsatellite markers characterized in one species have been tested in other related species with varying degree of success (Chambers et al. 2004). Stump-tailed macaque (Macaca arctoides) and pig-tailed macaque (Macaca nemestrina) are biomedically important species but are becoming endangered fast. In the present study, 20 human tetranucleotide microsatellite markers were used to test their cross-species amplification in captive stump-tailed macaques and pig-tailed macaques. Out of 20 markers screened, 11 were polymorphic and 9 showed no amplification, nonspecific amplification or were nonpolymorphic. These 11 microsatellite markers showed an average of 6.6 and 6.4 alleles per locus, and mean Ho values of 0.84 and 0.78 in pig-tailed and stump-tailed macaques, respectively. These markers were found to be potentially useful in range of genetic studies including paternity testing, pedigree analysis, population genetic studies etc., in captive populations of pig-tailed and stump-tailed macaques. Nonhuman primates are the most relevant model organisms to understand the human biology and are extensively used in biomedical research. Genus Macaca belongs to family Cercopithecidae, comprises of 19 species (Fooden 1976). Pig-tailed macaque (M. nemestrina) and stump-tailed macaque (M. arctoides) belongs to this genus and are excellent models for studying diseases like AIDS (Lowenstine 1992; Haigwood 2004), reproduction (Fraser et al. 2005; Muehlenbein et al. 2005), animal behaviour (SantillanDoherty et al. 1991; Weed and Hienz 2006) etc. Pig-tailed macaque is a relevant model for viral infection studies (Mansfield et al. 1999) and stump-tailed macaque for studying androgenetic alopecia (Uno 1986). However, these species are quickly becoming endangered due to habitat loss,