DNA profile explained simply

The DNA profile is the genetic fingerprint of your animal. Using the genetic material, we create a combination of numbers and letters that is unique for each animal. Once the DNA profile has been created and possibly also stored in a database, the animal can be clearly identified at any time using a blood sample, a cheek swab or a tissue sample. The DNA profile cannot be manipulated and cannot be lost. This means that the identity of the animal can be clearly proven in the event of theft or loss, for example. Before artificial insemination, the sperm sample can be reliably assigned to a specific male with the help of a DNA profile. The DNA profile also serves as the basis for some further genetic analyses, such as parentage tests (paternity tests) or breed determination. DNA profiles created in different laboratories should be comparable and created according to a standardised procedure. We work according to the recommended guidelines of ISAG (International Society for Animal Genetics), so that the DNA profiles we create are comparable with those of other laboratories working according to ISAG.

DNA profile in dogs

For dogs, you can choose between two different types of DNA profiles: the Classic STR DNA profile, which is created according to the ISAG guidelines adopted in 2006, and the Premium SNP DNA profile according to the ISAG guidelines from 2020. The Classic STR DNA profile (ISAG 2006) analyses 22 highly variable sites in the genome, which are referred to as microsatellites. At these sites, certain sequences of bases are repeated with varying frequency (repetitive sequences). The number of repetitions, and therefore the length of the microsatellites, varies greatly from dog to dog. The combination of the number of repetitions at all 22 analysed points results in a list of values that is unique and unmistakable for the dog. The Premium SNP DNA Profile (ISAG 2020), on the other hand, evaluates 230 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). These are sites in the genome that are also highly variable, but only differ by individual base pairs or nucleotides (basic building blocks of DNA). The large number of SNPs that are analysed leads to letter combinations that are unique to each dog. The Premium SNP DNA profile can also be used to solve more complex parentage cases and to determine the genetic diversity of a dog within a breed (breed-specific evaluation, genetic diversity and heterozygosity). Please note that the Classic STR DNA profile (ISAG 2006) and the Premium SNP DNA profile (ISAG 2020) are not compatible and therefore parentage analyses are only possible if the same type of DNA profile is available for all dogs involved.

DNA profile in cats and horses

For the DNA profile in cats and horses, the ISAG recommends creating a profile based on 17 highly variable sites in the genome, the microsatellite markers. At these sites, certain sequences of bases are repeated with varying frequency (repetitive sequences). The number of repetitions, and therefore the length of the microsatellites, varies greatly from animal to animal. The combination of the number of repetitions at all 22 analysed points results in a list of values that is unique and unmistakable for the horse or cat.