Sequence Length Polymorphisms within Cervid AmelogeninX and AmelogeninY Genes: Use in Sex Determination

Sequence length polymorphisms between the amelogeninX and amelogeninY genes have been utilized for the design of rapid PCR sex determination assays for various mammalian species, including four cervid species (Capreolus capreolus, Cervus elaphus, Cervus nippon, and Dama dama). Several of these assays have been shown to be able to determine sex from non-invasively collected samples such as hair roots, feces, or skeletal remains. Such assays can be helpful for both zoo and wildlife biologists for sex determination, and could possibly be further developed to aid in species identification and SNP analyses if sequence information is also available. In order to further study the amelogeninX and amelogeninY gene polymorphisms that exist within cervids, partial sequences from these genes were generated and analyzed in multiple amelogeninX and amelogeninY samples of mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) and Rocky Mountain elk (Cervus elaphus nelsoni); and single amelogeninX and amelogeninY samples of sika deer (Cervus nippon), fallow deer (Dama dama) and axis deer (Axis axis). Within these five species, three sequence length polymorphism regions (two or more nucleotides inserted or deleted between samples) were found. The lengths of these polymorphisms were 45, 9, and 9 nucleotides. In addition, a SNP was found in the amelogeninY sequences of the mule deer samples that were analyzed. Lastly, the primers used to amplify the regions of the amelogeninX and amelogeninY sequences were able to determine sex in all five species that were studied.