Genetic diversity analysis of the Mexican Lidia bovine breed population and its relation with the Spanish population by using a subset of SNPs under low gametic disequilibrium

Abstract

Retaining features of the auroch (Bos taurus primigenius), the Lidia bovine is a primitive breed originated ~250 yr ago in the Iberian Peninsula, where is still distributed, along with France and several American countries. Selected upon a behavior, which enhances their aggressiveness; these bovines were raised to participate in popular festivities that nowadays reinforce the identity of regional cultures. Different festivities demanded diverse behavior patterns, prompting a fragmentation of the breed into small lineages. In Mexico, where these bovines reached high popularity, mainly two families of breeders imported Lidia bovines from Spain in the early XX century specializing their production either reproducing the new arrivals among them or realizing systematic crosses with local populations. Genetic diversity and structure of the Mexican and Spanish Lidia populations has been assessed with microsatellite data, but nowadays SNP molecular markers allows higher resolution level. Genetic diversity of the Mexican and Spanish Lidia populations and their relationship were assessed by using 573 SNPs with a low gametic disequilibrium (r2<0.01) from the 50K BeadChip on 468 individuals from both populations. In both populations, similar gene diversity values were observed. Significant FIS values in both populations means strong subdivision, higher FST genetic distances were observed in the Spanish than in the Mexican population. Genetic structure analysis showed similarity of three Spanish lineages with González family and some Llaguno breeders, but most Llaguno family clustered separated: genetic differentiation along with high gene diversity suggest an introgression of creole cattle in the constitution of the Mexican population.