1Department of Biomedical Science and Environmental Biology, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
2Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, Chung Hwa University of Medical Technology, Tainan, Taiwan
3Hi-Scene World Enterprise Co. LTD.
4Department of Veterinary Medicine, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Pingtung, Taiwan
5Graduate Institute of Natural Products, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
6Center of Excellence for Environmental Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University
7Cancer Center, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
*Corresponding Authors: changhw@kmu.edu.tw
Online published on 9 November, 2012.
Most penguins show little sexual dimorphism and therefore it is difficult to identify their gender, which is a pivotal factor for monitoring the population stability. In this study, we have developed an improved gender determination analysis by investigating the length differences between the intron of the Chromo-Helicase- DNA binding protein CHD-Z and CHD-W genes of Pygoscelis papua. After TA cloning and sequencing of the P2/P8 PCR products for Pygoscelis papua, the sequences for putative CHD-Z and CHD-W genes were found to be highly similar to other penguin species such as Spheniscus magellanicus and Eudyptes chrysocome. By comparing DNA sequences for CHD-W and CHD-Z from three species of penguins we designed common PCR primers for gender identification that expend differences in its PCR product length. Regular 1.5% agarose gels were shown to easily discriminate between the 126-bp CHD-ZW and the 287- bp CHD-W PCR products. When tested with four samples of Pygoscelis papua, our improved and unique primers provided a precise gender identification method for penguins.
Gender identification, penguins, Pygoscelis papua, CHD gene, gender-specific primers
