A simple and rapid method for the extraction of genomic DNA from piglet tails without using proteinase K

Genomic DNA (gDNA) is a prerequisite for genomic research. However, the collection of blood samples from young animals for gDNA extraction is not practical. Since piglet tail docking is routinely performed in pig farms to prevent injury from tail biting, docking tails served as a practical source for gDNA in piglets. However, extraction of gDNA from piglet tails is difficult because of inelasticity and cartilage. The purpose of this study was to develop a rapid and simple method of isolating gDNA from piglet tails for downstream molecular purpose. Chopped piglet tails with ceramic beads in lysis buffer were vortex-homogenized prior to DNA extraction with a general tissue gDNA extraction kit without a long incubation period in proteinase K. Obtained gDNA was used for polymerase chain reaction amplification of the microsatellite loci, reflecting the quality of gDNA. In conclusion, we reveal the practical tools for gDNA extraction from piglet tails for molecular analysis.