Short tandem repeat (STR) based genetic diversity and relationship of indigenous Niger cattle
The diversity of cattle in Niger is predominantly represented by three indigenous breeds: Zebu Arabe, Zebu Bororo and Kuri. This study aimed at characterizing the genetic diversity and relationship of Niger cattle breeds using short tandem repeat (STR) marker variations. A total of 105 cattle fr...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2017-11-01
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| Series: | Archives Animal Breeding |
| Online Access: | https://www.arch-anim-breed.net/60/399/2017/aab-60-399-2017.pdf |
| Summary: | The diversity of cattle in Niger is predominantly represented
by three indigenous breeds: Zebu Arabe, Zebu Bororo and Kuri. This study
aimed at characterizing the genetic diversity and relationship of Niger
cattle breeds using short tandem repeat (STR) marker variations. A total of
105 cattle from all three breeds were genotyped at 27 STR loci. High
levels of allelic and gene diversity were observed with an overall mean of 8.7
and 0.724 respectively. The mean inbreeding estimate within breeds was found
to be moderate with 0.024, 0.043 and 0.044 in Zebu Arabe, Zebu Bororo and
Kuri cattle respectively. The global <i>F</i> statistics showed low genetic
differentiation among Niger cattle with about 2.6 % of total variation
being attributed to between-breed differences. Neighbor-joining tree derived
from pairwise allele sharing distance revealed Zebu Arabe and Kuri
clustering together while Zebu Bororo appeared to be relatively distinct from
the other two breeds. High levels of admixture were evident from the
distribution of pairwise inter-individual allele sharing distances that
showed individuals across populations being more related than individuals
within populations. Individuals were assigned to their respective source
populations based on STR genotypes, and the percent correct assignment of Zebu
Bororo (87.5 to 93.8 %) was consistently higher than Zebu Arabe (59.3 to
70.4 %) and Kuri (80.0 to 83.3 %) cattle. The qualitative and
quantitative tests for mutation drift equilibrium revealed absence of genetic
bottleneck events in Niger cattle in the recent past. High genetic diversity
and poor genetic structure among indigenous cattle breeds of Niger might be
due to historic zebu–taurine admixture and ongoing breeding practices in the
region. The results of the present study are expected to help in formulating
effective strategies for conservation and genetic improvement of indigenous
Niger cattle breeds. |
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| ISSN: | 0003-9438 2363-9822 |