TY - JOUR
T1 - Assessment of genetic diversity and conservation priority of Omani local chickens using microsatellite markers
AU - Al-Qamashoui, Badar
AU - Simianer, Henner
AU - Kadim, Isam
AU - Weigend, Steffen
N1 - Funding Information:
Acknowledgments We are grateful to the farmers who participated in our study and thank the Agricultural Directorates and Research Centers in Oman for coordinating field visits. We highly appreciate the technical assistance of Mrs. Annett Weigend, Mr. Maik Przyklenk, and Mrs. Natalie Janus at the Institute of Farm Animal Genetics, Mariensee. This research was embedded in a project aiming at the genetic characterization of Omani livestock resources, funded by the Sultan Qaboos University through HM Fund SR/AGR/ANVS/08/01.
PY - 2014/6
Y1 - 2014/6
N2 - Designing strategies for conservation and improvement livestock should be based on assessment of genetic characteristics of populations under consideration. In Oman, conservation programs for local livestock breeds have been started. The current study assessed the genetic diversity and conservation potential of local chickens from Oman. Twenty-nine microsatellite markers were analyzed in 158 birds from six agroecological zones: Batinah, Dhofar, North Hajar, East Hajar, Musandam, and East Coast. Overall, a total of 217 alleles were observed. Across populations, the average number of alleles per locus was 7.48 and ranged from 2 (MCW98 and MCW103) to 20 (LEI094). The mean expected heterozygosity (H E) was 0.62. Average fixation index among populations (F ST) was 0.034, indicating low population differentiation, while the mean global deficit of heterozygotes across populations (F IT) was 0.159. Based on Nei's genetic distance, a neighbor-joining tree was constructed for the populations, which clearly identified the Dhofar population as the most distant one of the Omani chicken populations. The analysis of conservation priorities identified Dhofar and Musandam populations as the ones that largely contribute to the maximal genetic diversity of the Omani chicken gene pool.
AB - Designing strategies for conservation and improvement livestock should be based on assessment of genetic characteristics of populations under consideration. In Oman, conservation programs for local livestock breeds have been started. The current study assessed the genetic diversity and conservation potential of local chickens from Oman. Twenty-nine microsatellite markers were analyzed in 158 birds from six agroecological zones: Batinah, Dhofar, North Hajar, East Hajar, Musandam, and East Coast. Overall, a total of 217 alleles were observed. Across populations, the average number of alleles per locus was 7.48 and ranged from 2 (MCW98 and MCW103) to 20 (LEI094). The mean expected heterozygosity (H E) was 0.62. Average fixation index among populations (F ST) was 0.034, indicating low population differentiation, while the mean global deficit of heterozygotes across populations (F IT) was 0.159. Based on Nei's genetic distance, a neighbor-joining tree was constructed for the populations, which clearly identified the Dhofar population as the most distant one of the Omani chicken populations. The analysis of conservation priorities identified Dhofar and Musandam populations as the ones that largely contribute to the maximal genetic diversity of the Omani chicken gene pool.
KW - Conservation
KW - Genetic diversity
KW - Microsatellites
KW - Omani chicken
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U2 - 10.1007/s11250-014-0558-9
DO - 10.1007/s11250-014-0558-9
M3 - Article
C2 - 24590534
AN - SCOPUS:84900821633
SN - 0049-4747
VL - 46
SP - 747
EP - 752
JO - Tropical Animal Health and Production
JF - Tropical Animal Health and Production
IS - 5
ER -