关键词: PCR, Sry 基因, 性别鉴定, 鲸类动物

Abstract: Sex-determining region Y (Sry) gene located in the short arm of the mammalian Y chromosome directs the sexual development of male. In this study, a 221-bp fragment of cetacean Sry genes was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) through a pair of primers designed based on the conserved region of other mammalian Sry genes. Eighty seven sex-known cetacean specimens in Nanjing Normal University were accurately determined sex with the simultaneous amplification of mitochondrial DNA cytochrome b (cyt b) gene fragments as positive control, which proved the efficiency of the present molecular technique. The established molecular method was applied to sex eighteen finless porpoises Neophocaena phocaenoides, two bottlenose dolphins Turiops trucatus, three indo-pacific bottlenose dolphins T. aduncus, three baiji Lipotes vexillifer, five striped dolphins Stenella coeruleoalba , and two pantropical spotted dolphin S . attenuata. This study provided a simple, rapid, and accurate approach for cetacean sex identification.

Key words: PCR, Sry gene, Sex identification, Cetacean