Genetic marker: a genome mapping tool to decode genetic diversity of livestock animals

Front Genet. 2024 Oct 17:15:1463474. doi: 10.3389/fgene.2024.1463474. eCollection 2024.

Abstract

Genotyping is the process of determining the genetic makeup of an organism by examining its DNA sequences using various genetic markers. It has been widely used in various fields, such as agriculture, biomedical and conservation research, to study genetic diversity, inheritance, the genetic basis of disease-associated traits, evolution, adaptation, etc., Genotyping markers have evolved immensely and are broadly classified as random markers (RFLP, RAPD, AFLP, etc.) and functional markers (SCoT, CDDP, SRAP, etc.). However, functional markers are very limited in genotype studies, especially in animal science, despite their advantages in overcoming the limitations of random markers, which are directly linked with phenotypic traits, high specificity, and similar logistic requirements. The current review surveyed the available random and functional markers for genotyping applications, focusing on livestock including plant and microbe domains. This review article summarises the application, advantages, and limitations of developed markers and methods for genotyping applications. This review aims to make the reader aware of all available markers, their design principles, and methods, and we discuss the marker inheritance patterns of RLFP and AFLP. The review further outlines the marker selection for particular applications and endorses the application of functional markers in genotyping research.

Keywords: breeding; genetic diversity; genetic markers; genome; genotyping; marker-assisted breeding.

Publication types

  • Review

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare that financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. Funding for manpower: Department of Biotechnology (BT/PR40991/AAQ/1/805/2020).