Use of VNTR locus D1S80 variability in assessing genetic relationships of individuals from selected families in the Kumasi Metropolis

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2014-11-17
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Several challenges bordering on paternity has been of much interest in our society today due to increased infidelity in marriages, rape cases, inheritance of estates of deceased parents and immigration issues. There is, therefore, the need for a more reliable technique for establishing the paternity of children in such families. The aim of this study was to assess genetic relationship involving the use of Variable Number of Tandem Repeats D1S80 DNA fingerprinting marker among individuals from 13 selected families of Anwomaso Township in the Kumasi Metropolis. Whole blood samples were collected from the study subjects. A part of the samples was used for ABO blood typing and the remaining used to extract genomic DNA. The DNA samples served as template in the subsequent polymerase chain reaction involving primers for the VNTR DIS80 marker. The PCR product representing the amplified VNTR regions were resolved on 2.5% agarose gel. The allelic bands scored were analyzed with NTSYSpc version 2.1 for similarity among members of the families. The ABO blood typing results for all the families involved in the study agreed 100% with the measured ABO phenotypes of the children although definitive paternity could not be established. The DNA finger print confirmed paternity of 24 children (82.7%) while five failed the paternity test. Two children in two different families, F2 and F6, were neither related to the supposed father nor mother and thus suggesting adoption of the children by the families. In one of the thirteen families, none of the two children had genetic relationship with the supposed father. It is concluded from this study that the use of VNTR DIS80 locus for DNA fingerprinting is more robust and definitive in refining paternity determination among families compared to the ABO system.
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A thesis submitted to the Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MSc. Biotechnology,
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