The amelogenin sex gene, is as suggested by the name, the gene which determines the sex of a person. This gene is used in paternity testing for a number of reasons which we will talk about in the article. The amelogenin sex gene is just one of the sex determining genes and is carried on both the X and Y chromosome.
Knowing the sex of the samples
When doing a peace of mind paternity test you will receive a home DNA test kit; this means you are to take your own DNA samples and send these for lab analysis. Things are very simple because home DNA kits are very well organized and you cannot really make mistake. When people do make mistakes with DNA sample collection for paternity tests it is through carelessness and absentmindedness.
Paternity testing: The main reason for testing the sex gene
The people submitting swabs get the swabs confused or mislabeled. For example I might place the fathers DNA samples in the envelope for the mother’s samples. Labs test the amelogenin sex gene so that they can find out if such an error has happened. If male DNA is found on the swabs which are labeled as the mother’s the testing cannot go ahead. The client will need to re send new samples which need to be correctly labeled, thus, delaying the paternity test. In order to try and solve the many paternity disputes as early as possible, some factions and groups have suggested all India fathers undergo DNA testing. Read more about this.
If the amelogenin sex gene is present on both the male and female chromosomes, then how do scientists know that one sample has male DNA and another sample has female DNA? The answer is simple: the sex gene will show different peaks when analyzed using what is known as PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) on the X chromosome and Y chromosome.
Testing this gene is also used for other reasons; for example in cases of a body that is found and cannot be identified as male or female. Determining the sex of the corpse would be the first step to help in the investigation.
The amelogenin sex gene is the standard control measure for paternity testing and it makes your test all the more reliable. Be wary of labs that do not test for this gene.