Sex determination of cattle meat by polymerase chain reaction amplification of the amelogenin (AMELX/AMELY) gene

Abstract

Aim: The objective of this study was to develop a simplified, efficient, and accurate protocol for sexing of cattle meat based on the amelogenin (AMELX/AMELY) gene using PCR technique which is superior to earlier work in terms of band patterns. Materials and Methods: Based on the amelogenin gene located on the conservation region of X and Y chromosomes, a pair of primers was designed and the system of PCR was established to amplify a 241-bp fragment from the X chromosome in female cattle, and a 241-bp fragment from X chromosome and 178-bp fragment from the Y chromosome in male cattle, respectively. The accuracy and specificity of the primers was assessed using DNA template extracted from cattle meat samples of known sex. The protocol was subjected to a blind test showed 100% concordance, proving its accuracy and reliability. Results: PCR products of cattle meat samples after electrophoresis showed two bands (241, 178-bp) for tissue from male while female tissue resulted in only one (241-bp) band. Conclusions: Our findings show that the PCR assay based on the amelogenin gene is reliable for sex determination in cattle meat.