Chicken and Quail Microsatellite Markers Reveal Polymorphisms in Guinea Fowl

Abstract

Microsatellite markers are tandem repeats of short nucleotides which are abundant, evenly distributed and highly polymorphic in eukaryotic genomes. As such, they are a useful tool in poultry breeding. Microsattelite markers have been identified in genomes of poultry such as chickens and quail. Exchange of marker information between chickens, quail and other avian species such as guinea fowl would be an important step towards the construction of a high-resolution comparative genetic map of these poultry species of agricultural importance. Using the polymerase chain reaction, chicken and quail microsatellite markers were tested to see if they would be suitable in amplifying guinea fowl loci. Eighty three percent (30/36) and 73 percent (19/26) of chicken and quail primers, respectively, amplified individual loci in guinea fowl. Fifty percent (15/30) and 47 percent (9/19) of the amplified loci using chicken and quail primers, respectively, were found to be polymorphic. These very few chicken and quail microsatellite markers that seem to reveal guinea fowl loci could be used as anchor points for comparative mapping. However, more effort should be committed to developing guinea fowl-specific markers since those of chickens and quail may not be sufficient for studies in guinea fowl.

Keywords

• guinea fowl
• microsatellite markers
• polymorphisms