Spectrophotometric method for determining the quantity and quality of DNA in animal breeding

Abstract

In animal breeding, genetic methods have become the basis of breeding work and veterinary diagnostics. Therefore, their development and improvement is an actual direction of modern science. The aim of the presented work was to study the concentration and quality of nucleic acids obtained from venous blood of cattle for further genetic studies. For this purpose, a modified method of phenolchloroform extraction, adapted for DNA extraction from blood, with subsequent spectrometric determination of DNA concentration and assessment of its quality were applied. As a result of this research, it was found that the average concentration of genetic material isolated from animal blood was 146.5±14.98 ng/µl. The main part of samples – more than 93% contained concentration of nucleic acids in the range from 50 to 200 ng/µl. At the same time, the time interval between DNA extraction and its spectrometric determination of concentration and quality of genetic material by the ratio of optical density at A260/A280 wavelengths during a year did not have significant changes on its parameters. The used method of nucleic acid extraction in 94% allowed obtaining samples of good quality suitable for further genetic studies. A correlation of 43% (P<0.001) was obtained between the concentration of genetic material and its quality. The coefficients of repetition of intra-laboratory studies of the results of extraction and spectrometric analysis were at the level of 97% (P<0.001), which indicates that this method of obtaining nucleic acids is adapted for its use in animal husbandry. The use of this method of DNA extraction allows obtaining quality material from animals with minimal economic costs for its further use in genetic research

Keywords

• genetic material
• nucleic acids
• optical density of the solution
• correlation
• repeatability
• nucleic acid extraction