DIAGNOSTIC METHOD

摘要

The invention relates to methods of detecting the presence or absence of the double-muscling genotype or phenotype in sheep. In particular, the invention relates to methods for detecting the presence or absence of a specific deletion in the myostatin (GDF-8) gene in sheep or the detection of the expressed mutant polypeptide. The invention further relates to diagnostic assays for detecting the presence or absence of the specific deletion and primers for use in such assays. The invention further relates to mutant sheep myostatin genes and polypeptides, methods for producing sheep and sheep breeding programmes.