EN
Micro-satellite, or simple tandem repeat (STR) sequences, are arrays of mono-, di-, tri-, or tetranucleotide motifs repeated in tandem and present in high numbers in vertebrate genomes. So far, more than a 1000 micro-satellites have been isolated and described in the bovine genome. STRs are highly polymorphic and this makes them useful as molecular markers for parentage control and accurate pedigree analyses in cattle. Technically, micro-satellite sequences are easily typed using the polymerous chain reaction (PCR) and the new efficient system for analysis of micro-satellite polymorphism employing the automated laser DNA sequencer. Recently, micro-satellite loci have played an increasingly important role in parentage control.