DNA sequence from the SRY gene of the sperm whale ( Physeter macrocephalus) for use in molecular sexing
We sequenced a 152 base pair fragment of the sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) SRY gene in order to obtain species-specific primers for determination of sex by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Sequence identity between the sperm whale SRY fragment and the homologous motif in a variety of othe...
| Published in: | Canadian Journal of Zoology |
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| Main Authors: | , , |
| Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Canadian Science Publishing
1994
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z94-118 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/z94-118 |
| Summary: | We sequenced a 152 base pair fragment of the sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) SRY gene in order to obtain species-specific primers for determination of sex by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Sequence identity between the sperm whale SRY fragment and the homologous motif in a variety of other mammals was high, though generally higher with ungulates (~88%) than with the human (85%), rabbit (80%), mouse (75%), or marsupial mouse (66%). When primers based on the sperm whale sequence were employed for PCR, a single product was amplified from male sperm whale DNA, whereas no product was amplified from female DNA. This SRY fragment was also amplified from other cetacean male DNA, but not from human DNA. Thus, under appropriate PCR conditions, the use of the cetacean-specific primers in an assay to determine sex eliminates the possibility of false results owing to contamination by human DNA. To confirm the results of the SRY analysis we sexed the same individual sperm whales by restriction analysis of PCR-amplified fragments from the ZFY and ZFX genes, using universal primers and methods previously reported to work for other cetacean species. |
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