Microsatellite scoring errors associated with noninvasive genotyping based on nuclear DNA amplified from shed hair

摘要: In the context of a study wild chimpanzees, Pan troglodytes vems, we found that genotypes based on single PCR amplifications microsatellite loci from shed hair have high error rate. We quantified rates using comparable results 791 11 18 known individuals. The most frequent was amplification only one two alleles present at heterozygous locus. This phenomenon, called allelic dropout, produced false homozygotes in 31% single-hair amplifications. There no difference probability preferential between longer and shorter alleles. scoring can be reduced to below 0.05 by three separate hairs same individual or pooling samples individual. this an additional 5.6% gave wrong because contamination, labelling loading errors, possibly artefacts. contrast, plucked taken four dead individuals consistent (error rate < 0.01%, n = 120). Allelic dropout becomes problem when DNA concentration falls ng/lO pL template as it with hair, extracts faeces masticated plant matter.