Genetic structure of Muzzafarnagri sheep based on microsatellite analysis

Genetic characterization of Muzzafarnagri—the heaviest sheep breed in India—was established on the basis of individual genotypes at 25 Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO, United Nations) recommended microsatellites, the most useful markers of choice for wide range of molecular genetic studies. High level of genetic variationwas evident within the investigated breed as assessed from various genetic diversity measures. The mean number of observed alleles per microsatellite marker was 5.04 and number of effective alleles (3.64) as usual was less than the observed values. The average observed and expected heterozygosity values were 0.652 and 0.697, respectively. High heterozygosity values indicated low level of inbreeding, low or no selection pressure and large number of alleles. Within population inbreeding estimate (FIS = 0.058) further supported low rate of inbreeding in the investigated population. The mean polymorphism information content (PIC) value (0.636) further reflected high level of genetic variability.Microsatellite based quantification of Muzzafarnagri breed structure is a step towards ongoing estimation of genetic distances and relationships among Indian sheep breeds to contribute to the establishment of their own conservation plans. In addition, wide range of variation depicted by various parameters of genetic variability suggested effectiveness of FAO recommended microsatellites for measurement of intra-breed genetic diversity. © 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved