Microsatellite panels suggested for parentage testing in cattle: informativeness revealed in Finnish Ayrshire and Holstein-Friesian populations (Research Note)

Abstract

Informativeness of eleven microsatellite markers suggested for parentage control in cattle by the International Society for Animal Genetics (ISAG) was studied in Finnish Ayrshire and Holstein-Friesian populations. Calculations were based on a sample of 100 non-sib artificial insemination bulls. Assuming one known parent the nine loci suggested for routine testing exhibited exclusion probabilities of 99.84% in the Ayrshires and 99.91% in the Holstein-Friesians. The addition of markers INRA23 and TGLA53, recommended for further investigations, increased the attained values to 99.94% in Ayrshires and to 99.98% in Holstein-Friesians. The recommended core set of six microsatellites provided a combined exclusion probability of 98.25% in Ayrshires and 99.32% in Holstein-Friesians. Although the combined values were high in general, a relatively low level of polymorphism was detected in some instances.;