DNA fingerprinting in cattle using oligonucleotide probes.

Oligonucleotide probes specific for simple tandem repeat sequences produce individual specific DNA fingerprints in man and all animal species tested so far. Here 11 different synthetic probes were hybridized to bovine genomic DNAs which had been digested with the restriction endonucleases HinfI, AluI and HaeIII. Two of these probes gave DNA fingerprint patterns which were analysed for three German breeds. Different parameters were calculated, such as the average number of bands per individual or the probability of finding identical fingerprints in two unrelated individuals. The number of polymorphic bands varies from 11 to 23 in the different breeds and the probability of finding the same banding pattern in two unrelated individuals ranges from 1.5 x 10(-7) to 2.4 x 10(-7). Hence this DNA fingerprinting procedure allows precise identification of individuals. It is also a useful additional method for paternity testing in cattle.