Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
11. Uluslararası Tıp ve Sağlık Bilimleri Araştırmaları Kongresi, Ankara, Türkiye, 24 - 25 Aralık 2022, cilt.11, sa.428, ss.690-691
The Linnaeus's two-toed sloths (Choloepus didactylus) belonging to Xenarthra supraorder (Edenta) are nocturnal and arboreal animals living in the rainforests of Central and South America. There is no distinct sexual dimorphism in these species. It is an obstacle for gender determination from the external genitalia, especially in newborns or young sloths. Hence, easy, rapid, and reliable genetics-based methods for gender identification of the sloths are needed to continue captive breeding more successfully. In this study, a PCR-based technique that allows gender determination of two-toed sloths by using a sex-determining region Y (SRY) gene marker was described. The hair samples from young (suspect gender) and adult sloths (known gender) were used in genetic analysis. Initially, genomic DNA was isolated from hair root samples using Roche high pure PCR template preparation kit. The SRY primers were specifically designed based on the NCBI and Ensembl databases and they were verified with the BLAST program concerning the two-toed sloth genome. PCR amplification was carried out by a programmable thermal cycler device using FastStart High Fidelity PCR System, Roche dNTPack with the SRY-specific primers. The samples were then electrophoresed on 2% agarose gels and were visualized by a gel documentation and analysis system. A specific band in the electrophoresis pattern is diagnostic for a male individual with a partial SRY region. Hence, the analysis demonstrated that the samples belong to a male two-toed sloth. Two-toed sloth species are commonly preferred animals in zoos. Gender determination is inevitable for these animals in captivity to be raised successfully and healthily. Molecular genetic techniques allow high efficiency in not only taxonomic evaluations but also gender identification in species that do not display sexual dimorphism. PCR assay described here may be useful to attain a rapid genetic analysis that can be widely used in gender determination for two-toed sloths.