title: A fast, convenient diagnosis of the bovine freemartin syndrome using polymerase chain reaction.
abstract: To establish the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method for detecting the XY cells in cases suspected to have the bovine freemartin syndrome, a PCR reaction test was conducted on blood from a normal bull diluted in blood from a normal cow. From the results obtained, it was shown that the Y-specific sequence was detectable down to a concentration of 0.1%. Various types of the bovine freemartin syndrome, which occurs in heterosexual twins, single-born sterile heifers, and heifers born with Acardius amorphus, were examined by the chromosome analysis and the PCR method. The Y-specific sequence was detected in all 26 cases that showed chromosome chimerism but which was absent in the 5 cases without a chimerism. The PCR method was found to be effective and convenient for quickly diagnosing the various types of bovine freemartin syndrome.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Theriogenology, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Agriculture, Iwate University, Morioka 020, Japan.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fujishiro
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kawakura
authors.forename: Y I
authors.initials: YI
authors.lastname: Miyake
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kaneda