Genetic similarity using DNA fingerprinting in cattle to determine relationship coefficient.

The relation between relationship coefficient and genetic similarity was evaluated using DNA fingerprinting in Japanese Black cattle. We proposed a new method for evaluating heterozygous and homozygous minisatellite loci. Genetic similarity by DNA fingerprinting was estimated by two methods--band sharing (BS) and a new evaluation called genetic similarity (GS). Linear regressions of the relationship coefficient (y) on levels of BS (x1) and GS (x2) yielded the equations y = 0.049 + 0.684x1 and y = -0.206 + 1.149x2, with highly significant correlation coefficients of .631 and .813, respectively. It was suggested that DNA fingerprinting could be applied to estimate the relationship coefficient not only in cattle but also in other species.