Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
EDUVET International Veterinary Science Congress, Samsun, Türkiye, 25 - 27 Haziran 2021, cilt.1, sa.2, ss.65-66
The giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) is the largest known anteater species. The main characteristics of this species are a long bushy tail (approximately 60-90 cm), long fur from nape to tail (resembling a mane), an elongated snout, remarkable foreclaws, and majestic body (182-217 cm in length). Sexual dimorphism is not evident in the giant anteater. Hence the genetics-based techniques are extremely necessary for sex determination in this species, especially in captive animals. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the sex of giant anteater species using PCR amplification. In this context, genomic DNA was extracted from hair root samples using Roche high pure PCR template preparation kit. The sex-determining region on the Y chromosome (SRY) primers were specifically designed based on the NCBI and Ensembl databases and they were verified with the BLAST program. The PCR amplification was carried out in a programmable thermal cycler, using appropriate conditions. Afterward, PCR products were run on 2% agarose gels containing 1μL GelRed and were photographed by a UV transilluminator. PCR reactions were carried out thrice with positive and negative controls. Sample profiles were determined by evaluating according to the presence or absence of the SRY region. A specific signal in the SRY amplification is diagnostic for a male individual with an SRY region. Hence it was determined that the samples belong to a male giant anteater. In this study PCR amplification, with SRY primer pair using DNA from hair roots, was shown to be a sensitive, reliable, and rapid method for identification of the sex in giant anteater because the specific PCR signal was only detected in male. Molecular genetic techniques are very effective and necessary in different applications such as animal breeding, health, and taxonomy as well as sex identification in species that do not display sexual dimorphism.