Abstract
Oligonucleotide probes specific for simple tandem repeat sequences produce individual specific DNA fingerprints in man and animal species tested so far. In the present study, a polynucleotide (TG)n was used to investigate DNA fingerprint variability in three breeds (Thoroughbred, Tokara horse and Noma horse) in order to clarify the relationships among Japanese native horses by using DNA fingerprinting (DFP). Estimates of the probabilities of finding identical fingerprints in two unrelated individuals of different breeds were in the range from 2.1×10-1 to 3.6×10-5.Similarities in DFP patterns between individuals were estimated by using the band sharing (BS) value. From the BS values, individuals within breeds tended to be more similar to each other with regard to DFP pattern than to individuals of other breeds. Furthermore, the genetic distance among the horse breeds was estimated as the mean number of nucleotide substitutions per nucleotide site. All individuals of three different ferent breeds were distributed into particular clusters and the Tokara horse was far from other breeds. DFP analysis can therefore be effectively used to assess the genetic relationship among breeds of horses.
