Validating Relationships in a Hybrid Cat Pedigree Using Microsatelliets

Domestic cats, Felis catus, and Asian leopard cats, Prionailurus bengalensis, were crossed to make a hybrid pedigree. This would be used for mapping the domestic cat genome through chromosome painting. Establishing the true relationships within this pedigree is essential to correctly map the F. catus genome. Using a forensic microsatellite panel, MeowPlex, relationships were determined between 223 individuals. The 6 most variable STR markers were used in the assessment of relatedness including, FCA723, FCA731, FCA736, FCA742, FCA740, and FCA733. With established relationships between the cats the hybrid pedigree will be able to farther research efforts into domestic cat genotyping, phenotypic trait tracking, diseases, and more. Overall, this project to determine relationships in the hybrid pedigree was more complicated than first thought with the presence of inbreeding and allele mutations.