Application of Multilocus Molecular Markers in Cattle Breeding. 2. Use of Blood Mixes

The use of blood mixes to produce DNA fingerprints can significantly reduce cost and labor required for linkage identification and population studies and can extend the number of individuals that can be used in an analysis. The current study was aimed at evaluating the usefulness of blood mixes in cattle by producing DNA fingerprints from individuals, DNA mixes, and blood mixes by volume and by leukocyte concentrations. Although individuals differ in leukocyte concentrations, the DNA fingerprints prepared from DNA mixes were similar to those prepared from blood mixes, both corrected and uncorrected for leukocyte concentrations; no significant differences were found among the three mixes. Because diversity in leukocyte concentration did not influence the amount of DNA extracted from blood, DNA fingerprints representing a group of individuals can be produced for cattle from blood mixes.