Forensic Application Evaluation of a Novel Canine STR System in Pembroke Welsh Corgi and Shiba Inu Groups

AIM: To evaluate the forensic application values of 19 autosomal short tandem repeat (STR) loci in canines. METHODS: The 19 STR loci in two canine groups (Pembroke Welsh Corgis, n = 200; Shiba Inus, n = 175) were analysed by the capillary electrophoresis platform. The allele frequencies and forensic parameters were calculated, and the genetic relationships between these two canine groups and a previously reported Labrador group were analysed. RESULTS: These two canine groups conformed to the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium at all STRs except for locus VGL3438 in the Pembroke Welsh Corgi group, and there was no linkage disequilibrium among pairwise loci at the 19 STRs. All STRs were polymorphic in the Pembroke Welsh Corgi and Shiba Inu groups, of which the locus C38 had the highest polymorphism. And it was found that the genetic relationship between the Pembroke Welsh Corgi and Labrador groups were closer in the three canine groups (Pembroke Welsh Corgi, Shiba Inu and Labrador). CONCLUSION: The 19 STR loci had high genetic polymorphisms and forensic application values in Pembroke Welsh Corgi and Shiba Inu groups.