Open AccessMicrosatellite typing of sperm trapped in the perivitelline layers of avian eggs: a cautionary note
Author(s) -
Martínez Juan G.,
Burke Terry
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
journal of avian biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.022
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1600-048X
pISSN - 0908-8857
DOI - 10.1034/j.1600-048x.2003.02948.x
Subject(s) - biology , sperm , microsatellite , genotyping , allele , sperm competition , genetics , evolutionary biology , zoology , genotype , gene
Recently Carter et al. (2000) have shown that it is possible to amplify microsatellite markers from the DNA of spermatozoa trapped in the perivitelline layers of avian eggs. This makes it possible to establish whether sperm reaches the ovum and to identify the males that contribute sperm competing to fertilise an egg. In this article we quantify the genotyping error rate associated with the biased amplification of differently sized alleles. We conclude that multiple marker loci should be used and that those markers where the competing males' alleles differ by more than ten base pairs should be avoided.