Molecular Markers in Animal Genome Analysis

Over the last two decades advances in molecular genetics have introduced a new generation of molecular markers for the genetic improvement of livestock. This study is focused on the most advanced DNA-based molecular markers which have acted as versatile tools and have found their own position in various fields. Ever since their development, they are constantly being modified to enhance their utility and to bring about automation in the process of genome analysis. The discovery of PCR (polymerase chain reaction) was a milestone in this еndeavour and proved to be an unique process that brought about a new class of DNA profiling markers. In this article DNA-based molecular markers developed during the past decades restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs), microsatellites (SSRs), amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLPs), single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) for various applications in the area of animal genome analysis are reviewed.