Differentiation of Meat Samples from Domestic Horses (Equus caballus) and Asiatic Wild Asses (Equus hemionus) Using a Species-Specific Restriction Site in the Mitochondrial Cytochrome b Region.
Abstract: Recent studies suggest that Asiatic wild asses (Equus hemionus) are being increasingly poached in a commercial fashion. Part of the meat is believed to reach the meat markets in the capital Ulaanbaatar. To test this hypothesis, we collected 500 meat samples between February and May 2006. To differentiate between domestic horse (Equus caballus) and wild ass meat, we developed a restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) assay based on the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). We amplified and sequenced a cytochrome b fragment (335 bp) and carried out a multialignment of the generated sequences for the domestic horse, the Asiatic wild ass, the domestic donkey (Equus asinus) and the Przewalski's horse (Equus ferus przewalskii). We detected a species-specific restriction site (AatII) for the Asiatic wild ass, resulting in a specific restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) band pattern. This RFLP assay represents a rapid and cost-effective method to detect wild ass meat. All of the 500 meat samples we collected and analysed within this pilot project proved to be domestic horsemeat as declared by the sales people. Thus, either the assumption that wild ass meat is sold as "cheap horse meat" is wrong, or we picked the wrong markets, products or season.
Publication Date: 2006-12-01 PubMed ID: 22059088PubMed Central: PMC3207225DOI: 10.22353/mjbs.2006.04.16Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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This research investigated whether meat from Asiatic wild asses was being sold at markets in Mongolia by developing a genetic testing process that can distinguish between horse and wild ass meat. Their pilot study tested 500 samples and found them to be horse meat, contrary to the initial assumption.
Research Objective
- The study aimed to find out whether the meat of the Asiatic wild ass, a species that has reportedly been increasingly poached, is being sold in meat markets in Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia.
Methodology
- The researchers collected 500 meat samples from markets between February and May 2006.
- To differentiate between the meat of domestic horse and wild ass, the researchers developed a restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) assay, which is a technique that uses the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to amplify DNA sequences.
- A part of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene with a length of 335 base pairs (bp) was targeted for amplification and sequencing. The sequences generated in the process were then compared with known sequences of the domestic horse, the Asiatic wild ass, the domestic donkey, and the Przewalski’s horse.
- The investigators found a restriction site unique to the wild ass. This particular sequence, when cut by the restrictive enzyme AatII, produced a distinct pattern of fragments that were different from those of other species when analyzed through the RFLP assay.
Findings
- The RFLP assay developed in this study represents a quick and affordable method to detect wild ass meat in a sample.
- In this pilot project, all of the 500 meat samples collected and analyzed were discovered to be accurately labelled as horse meat.
- The results suggest two possible conclusions – either the initial assumption that wild ass meat is falsely being sold as “cheap horse meat” was incorrect, or the team collected samples from the wrong markets or at the wrong time.
Cite This Article
APA
Kuehn R, Kaczensky P, Lkhagvasuren D, Pietsch S, Walzer C.
(2006).
Differentiation of Meat Samples from Domestic Horses (Equus caballus) and Asiatic Wild Asses (Equus hemionus) Using a Species-Specific Restriction Site in the Mitochondrial Cytochrome b Region.
Mong J Biol Sci, 4(2), 57-62.
https://doi.org/10.22353/mjbs.2006.04.16 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Molecular Zoology, Chair of Zoology, Technische Universität München, Am Hochanger 13, D-85354 Freising, Germany, kuehn@wzw.tum.de.
Grant Funding
- P 18624 / Austrian Science Fund FWF
References
This article includes 17 references
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Citations
This article has been cited 2 times.- Xu S, Qiu Z, Zheng C, Li L, Jiang H, Zhang F, Wang Z. Effect of miR-21-3p on lung injury in rats with traumatic hemorrhagic shock resuscitated with sodium bicarbonate Ringer's solution.. Ann Transl Med 2022 Dec;10(24):1331.
- Kaczensky P, Kuehn R, Lhagvasuren B, Pietsch S, Yang W, Walzer C. Connectivity of the Asiatic wild ass population in the Mongolian Gobi.. Biol Conserv 2011 Feb;144(2):920-929.
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