In the era of rapid biodiversity loss and environmental degradation, understanding and conserving the natural world is more critical than ever. Accurate species identification is fundamental to these endeavors, enabling effective conservation strategies, sustainable agriculture, and robust environmental monitoring. Simple Sequence Repeats (SSR) markers, also known as microsatellites, have emerged as a powerful tool for genetic analysis, offering a high degree of accuracy and versatility in species identification and beyond.
Fig 1. The simple sequence repeats (SSRs) based on a (GA)n motif (Amira M.I.,
et al., 2019)
Service Overview
Our company is a leading provider of cutting-edge SSR marker services, specializing in the development and application of these genetic tools for a wide range of applications. We offer comprehensive solutions tailored to the specific needs of researchers, conservationists, and industries committed to environmental sustainability. Our expertise lies in harnessing the power of SSR markers to unlock crucial genetic information, empowering our clients to make informed decisions that benefit both their endeavors and the planet.
Technological Principles
SSRs are short, repetitive DNA sequences found abundantly throughout the genomes of most organisms. These sequences exhibit high levels of polymorphism, meaning they vary significantly between individuals and species. This variability stems from differences in the number of repeat units at a specific SSR locus. By analyzing these variations, we can generate unique genetic profiles that serve as fingerprints for individual organisms or species.
The process typically involves the following steps:
- DNA Extraction: High-quality DNA is extracted from the target organism using appropriate methods.
- PCR Amplification: Specific SSR loci are targeted and amplified using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). Primers, short DNA sequences complementary to the regions flanking the SSR, are used to initiate and amplify the target sequence.
- Fragment Analysis: The amplified PCR products are analyzed to determine the size of the SSR fragments. This is often done using capillary electrophoresis, which separates DNA fragments based on their size.
- Allele Scoring and Data Analysis: The different fragment sizes observed represent different alleles at that SSR locus. The allele data is collected for multiple SSR loci across individuals or species. This data is then analyzed using various statistical and computational methods to generate genetic profiles and assess genetic relationships.
Technical Features and Advantages
SSR markers offer several advantages that make them a preferred choice for species identification and genetic analysis:
- High Polymorphism: The high variability of SSRs allows for a high degree of discrimination between individuals and species, enabling accurate identification even in closely related species.
- Co-dominant Inheritance: SSR markers can distinguish between homozygous and heterozygous individuals, providing more detailed genetic information and insights into population structure.
- Relatively Low Cost: Compared to some other molecular techniques, SSR analysis can be cost-effective, especially when analyzing a large number of samples.
- Wide Applicability: SSR markers can be developed for a wide range of organisms, from microorganisms to plants and animals.
- Reproducibility: SSR analysis is highly reproducible, ensuring consistent and reliable results.
Technical Classifications
SSR markers can be classified based on several criteria:
- Repeat Motif: The type of repeating unit, such as dinucleotide repeats (e.g., CA), trinucleotide repeats (e.g., CAG), or tetranucleotide repeats (e.g., GATA).
- Genomic Location: Whether the SSR is located in coding or non-coding regions of the genome.
- Development Method: Different methods can be used to develop SSR markers, including library screening, database mining, and next-generation sequencing.
Applications
The versatility of SSR markers makes them applicable across a wide range of fields:
- Conservation Biology: Identifying cryptic species that are morphologically similar but genetically distinct. Assessing genetic diversity within and between populations to inform conservation strategies. Monitoring population connectivity and gene flow. Identifying individuals of conservation concern, such as endangered species or populations with low genetic diversity.
- Agriculture: Characterizing and conserving crop genetic resources. Identifying and differentiating crop varieties for breeding programs. Assessing genetic purity and seed quality. Tracing the origin and authenticity of agricultural products.
- Fisheries Management: Identifying fish stocks and populations. Assessing genetic diversity and population structure to inform sustainable fishing practices. Monitoring the impact of fishing and other human activities on fish populations.
- Forestry: Identifying tree species and populations. Assessing genetic diversity and adaptation to environmental conditions. Informing sustainable forestry practices and conservation efforts.
- Evolutionary Studies: Understanding relationships between species and their evolutionary history. Studying population genetics and adaptation. Reconstructing phylogenies and tracing evolutionary lineages.
- Forensic Science: Identifying species from trace evidence. Wildlife forensics and combating illegal wildlife trade.
Environmental Benefits of RAPD Markers
- Conservation of Biodiversity: By providing accurate species identification and insights into population genetics, SSR markers enable effective conservation strategies that protect endangered species and maintain genetic diversity.
- Sustainable Agriculture: SSR markers support the development of sustainable agricultural practices by facilitating crop improvement, conservation of genetic resources, and efficient resource management.
- Ecosystem Monitoring: SSR markers can be used to monitor the impact of environmental changes and human activities on ecosystems, providing valuable information for environmental management and conservation efforts.
Our Services
At our bio-environmental company, we offer a comprehensive suite of services utilizing Simple Sequence Repeats (SSR) Markers for species identification and genetic analysis. Here's an overview of the services we provide:
- Genetic Diversity Studies: We conduct in-depth genetic diversity studies using SSR markers to assess the variability within and between populations, which is crucial for conservation genetics and breeding programs.
- Species Identification and Authentication: Our services include the identification and authentication of species using SSR markers, ensuring the purity and origin of biological materials.
- Genetic Mapping and QTL Analysis: We provide genetic mapping services to locate genes associated with specific traits and Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL) analysis to identify genetic markers linked to traits of interest.
- Parentage and Paternity Analysis: Our services extend to determining parentage and paternity in plants, which is vital for breeders to understand the genetic makeup of their cultivars.
- Hybrid Testing and Verification: We verify the authenticity of hybrids by examining the genetic composition using SSR markers, ensuring the integrity of hybrid varieties.
- Fingerprinting and Genetic Profiling: We create unique genetic profiles for plant varieties, aiding in the protection of intellectual property and compliance with regulatory standards.
- Molecular Assisted Selection (MAS): We assist in marker-assisted selection, which accelerates the breeding process by identifying and selecting plants with desirable genetic traits early in the breeding cycle.
Distinctive Service Features
- High Polymorphism and Reliability: SSR markers are known for their high level of polymorphism and reliability, making them ideal for genetic studies and breeding programs.
- Co-dominant Inheritance: SSR markers allow for the distinction between heterozygotes and homozygotes, providing a clear genetic profile for each individual.
- Genome-wide Coverage: SSR markers offer genome-wide coverage, capturing a broad spectrum of genetic variation.
- Low Cost and High Throughput: Our services are designed to be cost-effective and can handle high throughput, making them accessible to a wide range of clients, including small labs.
Contact Us
By leveraging the power of SSR markers, we are committed to providing our clients with accurate, reliable, and cutting-edge genetic services that support their research and breeding objectives. If you have any question, please don't hesitate to contact us and confirm with our team.
How to Place an Order
Reference
- Amira M.I., Mourad D.Z., et al "Recent Advances in Wheat (Triticum spp.) Breeding" Recent Advances in Wheat (Triticum spp.) Breeding 2019, 19(2):1481.
Our products and services are for research use only and cannot be used for any clinical purposes.