BOVINE EMBRYO SEXING BY THE ENZYMATIC AMPLIFICATION (PCR) OF A BOVINE Y-SPECIFIC SEQUENCE

The development of quick and sensitive methods for sexing bovine embryos in early stages was made possible by the cloning of bovine Y-specific sequences as well as by the use of the Polymerase Chain Reaction. A sexing procedure by the simultaneous amplification of one Y-specific and one autosomal bovine satellites is described here. The amplification of the autosomal satellite as an internal control for each sexing assay monitors the effective presence of bovine DNA in the samples and the quality of the enzymatic reaction. The use of aqueous and DNA controls enhances the diagnostic accuracy. From now on we have at our disposal a quick and sensitive procedure for the sexing of bovine pre-implantation embryos.