Prospects for use of genetic tagging technology in animal husbandry

Abstract

The efficiency of DNA extraction with using different extraction methods: from the cartilage tissue of the outer ear and the leukocyte fraction of whole blood of cattle, followed by an assessment of the possible prospects for the use of “genetic tagging” technology in animal husbandry has been compared in the work. It was established that according to the results of the research the highest concentration of DNA (146,26±13,180 ng/μl at p < 0,001) was obtained in samples from ear tissues when using the method of precipitation with reagents compared to isolating DNA from the leukocyte fraction of whole blood using highly eff ective methods extraction of genomic deoxyribonucleic acid on magnetic particles (22,80±3,138 ng/μl) and on columns (39,46±8,941 ng/μl). It was found when assessing DNA contamination with polypeptides that despite the fact that when using diff erent extraction methods, the ratio of optical densities at the corresponding absorption wavelengths A260/A280 was close to the optimal ~1,8. The smallest scatter of measurement values was obtained in DNA samples from earmarks tissue 1,89±0,008. In a subsequent comparison of available technologies for taking ear pluck tissue samples used for genetic research (population genetic characterization, genomic analysis, etc.), the FlexoPlusGeno “genetic tagging” system turned out to be the most preferable. In this case, the resulting ear pluck tissue sample is correlated with corresponding ear visual or RFID tags, which creates a “link” of the biomaterial to a specific animal with the ability to track it throughout its life. The technology under consideration is applicable for collecting and storing samples of cartilage tissue obtained by ear plucking from cattle, small ruminants, pigs and deer.