VPB 321: Animal Biotechnology (2+1)

SIMPLE SEQUENCE REPEATS

• Simple sequence repeats (SSRs), also called microsatellites, are repeated units of two to six nucleotides that occur throughout an organism’s genome.
• The sequence ATATATAT is one example of a microsatellite. The sequence GATGATGAT is another example.
• SSRs are useful as molecular markers because they are highly polymorphic (have many forms).
• SSRs have been used successfully as markers in a wide range of analysis, particularly those involving disease diagnosis and forensics.