VPB 321: Animal Biotechnology (2+1)

MOLECULAR MARKERS

• Molecular markers are used to find genes of interest that control how plants and animals perform.
• Some molecular markers are pieces of DNA that have no known function or impact on animal and plant performance. Other markers may involve the gene of interest itself.
• One type of molecular marker is called a linked marker. Using well-designed experiments, scientists can find molecular markers that are located very close to major genes of interest.
•  The molecular marker is said to be linked to that gene.Linked markers are only near the gene of interest on the chromosome and are not part of the DNA of the gene of interest.
• A second kind of molecular marker is one that is part of the gene of interest. Direct markers are easier to work with after they are found, but they often are more difficult to find than linked markers.