Accurate and specific methods for sex determination in farm animals play a vital
role in animal resources. Therefore, this study was conducted to differentiate between males and females for unknown sheep samples collected from slaughters based on the amelogenin (AMELX/ AMELY) gene by using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique. A total of 200 blood samples of Awassi sheep, collected from slaughterhouses, with an average age ranging between 3-6 years. Blood samples from the sheep were used to isolate the DNA. Specific PCR primers were used to amplify one fragment (262 bp) from the X- chromosome in ewes, and two fragments (262 and 202 bp) from the X and Y- chromosome in rams, respectively. The specificity of the primers was evaluated by using amelogenin amplicons for samples of known sex. The results revealed a single band for ewes (262 bp) and two bands for the rams (202 and 262 bp) after electrophoresis. In conclusion, this assay is proved to be a precise, inexpensive, and favorable method in sex determination, especially when unknown samples are collected from the slaughterhouse, and the samples are mixed so that it is difficult for the researcher to determine the sex of the samples. This method can be employed in other vertebrates and sexing of offspring in animal breeding because the amelogenin gene is conserved among mammals.
Key words: Amelogenin gene, PCR, sex determination, slaughterhouse, sheep
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