DNA fingerprinting: a tool for determining genetic distances between strains of poultry.

DNA fingerprinting, a technique based on the detection of hypervariable minisatellite regions in DNA restriction fragments, was tested for its applicability to conduct population genetics in poultry. Using MspI digestion and phage M13 DNA as a probe, between 25 and 35 minisatellite-containing DNA fragments were observed per bird. Comparison of the banding pattern of offspring with their parents revealed that the bands were inherited as stable genetic traits. The variability of the DNA fingerprinting pattern was reduced in inbred strains. DNA fingerprints of chickens from five well-defined populations of known genetic relationships were analyzed and indices of genetic distances were computed. They correctly reflected the history of these strains, indicating that DNA fingerprinting may be a powerful tool to characterize genetic relationships between different breeding populations of the same species.