Genetic heterogeneity among various Indigenous and other chicken populations with microsatellite markers

Abstract

A study was conducted to assess genetic heterogeneity among 14 chicken populations using 16 microsatellite markers. All the microsatellite loci except MCW048 were polymorphic. The number of alleles varied from 2 to 6. The polymorphic information content of the microsatellite markers varied from 0.21 to 0.87. The average observed number of alleles across the microsatellites varied from 3 to 3.8, while effective number of alleles varied from 1.9 to 3.0. The average observed and expected heterozygosities were in the range of 0.3–0.6 and 0.4–0.6, respectively. The markers, MCW049, MCW044, MCW041, ADL176, MCW059, ADL136 and MCW110 showed heterozygosity excess and ADL158, MCW043, ADL102, MCW014, ADL023, ADL210 and MCW007 markers revealed heterozygosity deficiency in the populations. The genetic distance between layer and broiler lines was found to be high ranging from 0.22 to 0.38. The Indigenous populations were more closely related to broiler lines than layer ones. In conclusion, it is stated that Indigenous, broiler and layer chicken populations were heterogeneous in nature and Indigenous chicken populations were distantly related from the broiler and layer chicken populations.