Species and gender identification in diversified poultry species by PCR analysis of CHD gene

Sex differentiation is a big problem in diversified poultry species since the conventional methods are not successful and phenotype based sexing is possible only after attainment of puberty. An investigation was carried out to differentiate sexes in five non-ratite species, viz., chicken, quail, duck, turkey and guinea fowl and one ratite species i.e. emu using PCR based methods and also to differentiate studied species at molecular level. A highly conserved gene, chromo-helicase-DNA-binding (CHD) gene, present on W as well as Z-chromosomes but with varying intronic regions, was targeted with the help of two pairs of primers, CHD1F/CHD1R and P8/P2. PCR analysis of CHD gene demonstrated effective tool for species and gender identification in diversified non-ratite poultry species, viz., chicken, quail, duck, turkey and Guinea fowl. Both the primers pairs revealed one common band in both sexes and one unique band in females with variable molecular sizes between sexes and among species. Multiplex PCR using both primer pairs and analyzing PCR products on PAGE could also differentiate sex and species in chicken, quail, duck, guinea fowl and turkey. The study generated unique and useful information on species and gender identification in diversified poultry.