title: Microsatellite and Mitochondrial DNA Study of Native Eastern European Cattle Populations: The Case of the Romanian Grey.
abstract: The Eastern European Grey cattle are regarded as the direct descendants of the aurochs (Bos taurus primigenius). Nowadays in Romania, less than 100 Grey animals are being reared and included in the national gene reserve. We examined the genetic diversity among Romanian Grey, Brown, Spotted and Black and White cattle breeds, with a particular focus on Romanian Grey through the use of (i) 11 bovine specific microsatellite markers on 83 animals and (ii) 638 bp length of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) D-loop region sequence data from a total of 81 animals. Both microsatellite and mtDNA analysis revealed a high level of genetic variation in the studied breeds. In Romanian Grey a total of 100 alleles were found, the mean number of observed alleles per locus was 9.091; the average observed heterozygosity was 0.940; the Wright's fixation index (FIS) was negative (-0.189) and indicates that there is no inbreeding and no selection pressure. MtDNA analysis revealed 52 haplotypes with 67 variable sites among the Romanian cattle breeds without any insertion or deletion. Haplotype diversity was 0.980 ± 0.007 and ranged from 0.883 ± 0.056 (Brown) to 0.990 ± 0.028 (Spotted and Black and White). The highest genetic variability of the mtDNA was recorded in the Grey breed, where 18 haplotypes were identified. The most frequent mtDNA D-loop region belonged to T3 haplogroup (80.247%), which was found across all studied breeds, while T2 haplotypes (16.049%) was only found in Grey, Spotted and Black and White genotypes. The T1 haplotypes (3.704%) were found in the Grey and Spotted. The current results contribute to the general knowledge on genetic diversity found in Eastern European cattle breeds and could prove a valuable tool for the conservation efforts of animal genetic resources (FAnGR).
authors.affiliation: Department of Research, Research and Development Station for Bovine, Arad, Arad, Romania.
authors.forename: Daniela Elena
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Ilie
authors.affiliation: Department of Research, Research and Development Station for Bovine, Arad, Arad, Romania.
authors.forename: Ada
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cean
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Production Engineering, Banat's University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine 'King Michael I of Romania', Timisoara, Timiș, Romania.
authors.forename: Ludovic Toma
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Cziszter
authors.affiliation: Department of Research, Research and Development Station for Sheep and Goats, Caransebes, Caraș-Severin, Romania.
authors.forename: Dinu
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gavojdian
authors.affiliation: Department of Functional Sciences, University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Victor Babes" Timisoara, Timiș, Romania.
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ivan
authors.affiliation: Animal Genetics Laboratory, Institute of Animal Science, Biotechnology and Nature Conservation, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary.
authors.forename: Szilvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kusza
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D000818:Animals; D001947:Breeding; D002417:Cattle; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D030541:Databases, Genetic; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D056426:Genetic Loci; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005838:Genotype; D006239:Haplotypes; D008297:Male; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats / Q000235:genetics*; D010802:Phylogeny; D012383:Romania; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial