title: Microsatellite analysis of genetic population structure of zebu cattle (Bos indicus) breeds from north-western region of India.
abstract: The present study aims to understand the existing genetic diversity and structure of six native cattle breeds (Rathi, Tharparkar, Nagori, Mewati, Gir, and Kankrej) adapted to the north-western arid and semi-arid region of India based on microsatellite loci. Various diversity estimates, mean number of alleles (12.84); effective number of alleles (5.02); gene diversity (0.769), and observed heterozygosity (0.667) reflected the existence of substantial within-breed diversity in all the investigated cattle breeds. Mean estimates of F-statistics: F(IT) = 0.144 ± 0.023, F(IS) = 0.071 ± 0.021, and F(ST) = 0.078 ± 0.014 were significantly different from zero (P < 0.05). The interbreed relationships indicated moderate level of breed differentiation between the six cattle breeds with least differentiation between Kankrej-Mewati pair. The phylogeny structuring further supported close grouping of Kankrej and Mewati breeds. Correspondence analysis plotted Rathi, Tharparkar, and Gir individuals into three separate areas of multivariate space; whereas, Kankrej, Mewati, and Nagori cattle showed low breed specific clustering. This reflected the existence of discrete genetic structure for Tharparkar, Rathi, and Gir, the prominent dairy breeds of the region; whereas, admixture was observed for Kankrej, Mewati, and Nagori individuals.
authors.affiliation: Cattle Genomics Lab, National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources, Karnal, Haryana, India. monikasodhi@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sodhi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mukesh
authors.forename: B P
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Mishra
authors.forename: S P S
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Ahlawat
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Prakash
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Sobti
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle / Q000235:genetics*; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005828:Genetics, Population; D007194:India; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats; D010802:Phylogeny