Mitochondrial DNA variation in Asian Shepherd Dogs

Abstract

The hypervariable region of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region has been studied in several guardian dog breeds. The genetic diversity is high in the Central Asian Shepherd Dog and the Northern Caucasian Volkodav (an native group of breeds) and low in the Caucasian Shepherd Dog. Haplotypes of groups A, B, C, and E/W have been found in Central Asian Shepherd Dogs; haplotypes of groups A and B, in Caucasian Shepherd Dogs. The data indicates a gene flow from Scandinavian dog populations to the Northern Caucasus. The results of the analysis allow the Caucasian Shepherd Dog, Northern Caucasian Volkodav, Central Asian Shepherd Dog, and the Turkish breeds akbash and kangal to be combined into a single group with an extremely low degree of differentiation.