The genetic variability of 22 protein loci was investigated in two sheep flocks: 22 females Romney Marsh and 124 animals derived from crossbreeding between Romney Marsh and Merino Booroola, reared by the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária -EMBRAPA, Bagé, RS, Brazil). Eight loci were polymorphic; the others showed no variation. The usefulness of the eight plymorphic systems (Cat, DIA I, EP-1, EsA, HbB, ME, Tf, and X Prot.) in parentage tests was analyzed. The probability to find two random identical animals in each breed was estimated as 1:1000. The efficiency of these proteins for exclusion of one of two possible sires in parentage tests was about 77% both for Romney Marsh and Romney/ Booroola flocks. Although parentage tests in sheep have not been enforced in Brazil up to now, the establishment of this technique is important for the prevention of non-paternity on the excellent rams.
Sheep; genetic potymorphisms; paternity tests
