Indigenous Goat Breeds Research Articles

Polymorphisms of IGF-IR gene and their association with economic traits in two indigenous Chinese dairy goat breeds

The insulin like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF-IR) plays an important role in regulating growth and development. To investigate the effects of IGF-IR polymorphisms on the economic traits of dairy goats, polymerase chain reaction-single strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) and DNA sequencing methods were used to screen single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within 9 IGF-IR fragments in Xinong Saanen dairy goat (XS, n = 268) and Guanzhong dairy goat (GZ, n = 440). Consequently, two SNPs, including NC_007319: g.26688 C>T (Leu 608 Leu) and NC_007319: g.28273 T>C within exon 9 and intron 10 were identified in R8 and R9 loci, respectively. At R8 locus, three genotypes were found, including CC, CT and TT, with genotypic frequencies of 0.11, 0.65 and, 0.24 respectively in XS goats, and 0.13, 0.78 and 0.09 in GZ goats; three genotypes which are C1C1, C1T1 and T1T1 were also found in R9 locus, with the genotypic frequencies of 0.48, 0.20 and 0.32 in XS goats, and 0.43, 0.22 and 0.35 in GZ goats, respectively. Based on χ2 test, both XS and GZ populations were deviated from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium at above two loci. The association analysis revealed that XS goats with CC genotype at R8 locus had heavier milk density than the CT ones (P < 0.05). At R9 locus, the body height of GZ goats with C1C1 and T1T1 genotypes was significantly higher than those with C1T1 genotype (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05). The individuals of GZ goat with C1C1 genotype had longer body length than those with T1T1 genotype (P < 0.05). The individuals of XS with T1T1 and C1T1 genotypes had higher body height than those with C1C1 genotype (P < 0.05). This study can provide theoretical and practical significances to improve the milk production traits and promote the growth and development in two Chinese indigenous dairy goat breeds.

Morphometric and Physical Characterization of Borana Indigenous Goats in Southern Oromia, Ethiopia

The study was conducted in Borana zone of southern Ethiopia to phenotypically characterize Borana goats kept under pastoral and agro-pastoral management systems. In total, 257 of goats comprising of 199 female and 58 male goats were used for the study. Qualitative descriptions of the breed showed that sampled animals displayed high frequency for plain coat pattern (82.10%) and white coat color (89.88%). In both sexes, toggle was manifested in 6% of the animals. Nearly, 48% of the animal sampled (male and female) were polled. The overall body weight (BW), chest girth (CG), body length (BL), wither height (HW), pelvic width (PW), body condition score (BCS) and ear length (EL) for female goats were 27.99 kg, 64.34 cm, 69.60 cm, 66.64 cm, 14.35 cm, 2.87 and 14.35, respectively. Within females, dentition significantly affected (P 0.05). Similarly, dentition had significantly (P < 0.001) influenced live body weight and other linear measurements in male goats. This study insight that Borana goats are superior to other indigenous goat breeds in many of the quantitative traits considered. Most of the parameters considered had positive and significant correlation with live body weight. Considering ease of measurement, chest girth (CG) could be used in performance recordings and bridge the gaps still present in keeping the performance of the breed to facilitate within breed selection scheme.

Supernumerary Teats in Kalahari Red Goats in the Humid Tropics

Supernumerary teats (SNT) are additional to the usual number of teats found on a cow (four), goat or sheep (two). Information has been provided on the occurrence of teat abnormalities in the indigenous goat breeds in Nigeria but there remains a dearth of information on the incidence of teat abnormalities in the Kalahari red goats (KRG). Fifty two female lactating KRG aged between 2-5 years were classified on the basis of the number of SNT by visual appraisal. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and independent sample T-test. 76.1% of the population possesses SNT, 10.9% had one, 43.5% had two, 10.9% had three while 10.9% had four SNT. 60% of the population of KRG with SNT had none of such teats functional/patent. 11.4% had one patent SNT, 25.7% had two patent SNT, 2.9% had four patent SNT. The location of the SNT in relation to the primary teat reveals that 86.3% of the SNT are cranial, 1.3% of the SNT are caudal, 10.0% of the SNT are medial while 2.5% of the SNT are lateral. 74.36% of KRG studied had symmetrical udders while 25.45% had asymmetrical udder. The study concluded that possible reproductive implications of high percentage of SNT in KRG may include neonatal death of kids especially in multiple births and higher risk of mastitis in does. Reproductive Veterinarians and breeders should watch out for goats with SNT when carrying out breeding soundness examination.

Genetic polymorphism of β-Lactoglobulin gene in indigenous Nigerian goat breeds

Polymorphism at the ?-Lactoglobulin (?-LG) gene of three Nigerian goat breeds, namely: the West African Dwarf, Sahel and Red Sokoto goats, was investigated using the Polymerase Chain Reaction-Random Fragment Length Polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method. The restriction endonucleases used in the study were Rsal and Mspl, respectively. The results revealed the existence of only one polymorphic variant (allele A) with a gene frequency of 1.0 in all the three goat breeds studied. The amplified products were observed at 120 bp and the restriction digestion with Rsal revealed just one genotype at the ?-LG locus. It was concluded that there was the absence of polymorphism at the ?-LG locus of the goats investigated.

Seroprevalence of Brucellosis and Associated Risk Factors among Indigenous Breeds of Goats in Wukari, Taraba State, Nigeria.

A cross-sectional study was conducted in Wukari, Taraba state, Nigeria, to determine the prevalence of Brucella antibodies and the risk factors associated with brucellosis in indigenous breeds of goats. A total of 386 goats were sampled from three political wards: Puje, Avyi, and Hospital: harvested sera samples were subjected to Rose Bengal Plate Test (RBPT). GraphPad Prism version 7.03 for Windows (GraphPad Software, La Jolla California, USA) was used to analyse the association between seroprevalence of brucellosis and age, sex, breed, location, and management system by using Chi square and Fisher's exact test as appropriate. Brucellosis was detected in all three wards: Puje; 15%, Avyi; 6.6%, and Hospital; 7.6%. A prevalence rate of 2.8%, 8%, 18.7%, and 1% was recorded for <20-month, 22-35-month, 36-45-month, and ≥46-55-month age categories, respectively (P < 0.05). Only 9.5% was observed for male animals while 9.8% was observed for female animals with no statistical difference between the males and females. Breed-specific seroprevalence yielded 7.4%, 5.4% 12%, 12.8%, and 11.6%, for Cross, West Africa Dwarf, Red Sokoto, Kano Brown, and Sahel breeds of goat, respectively. There is an evidence of brucellosis (9.6%) in Wukari L.G.A, Taraba State, and age is a risk factor for the disease in the study area. There is a need to enlighten the public on the zoonotic potentials and economic impacts of brucellosis.

Population structure, genetic diversity and selection signatures within seven indigenous Pakistani goat populations.

Goat farming in Pakistan depends on indigenous breeds that have adapted to specific agro-ecological conditions. Pakistan has a rich resource of goat breeds, and the genetic diversity of these goat breeds is largely unknown. In this study, genetic diversity and population structure were characterized from seven indigenous goat breeds using the goat 50K SNP chip. The genetic diversity analysis showed that Bugi toori goats have the highest inbreeding level, consistent with the highest linkage disequilibrium, lowest diversity and long run of heterozygosity segments. This indicates that this breed should be prioritized in future conservation activities. The population structure analysis revealed four fairly distinct clusters (including Bugi toori, Bari, Black Tapri and some Kamori) and three other breeds that are seemingly the results of admixture between these or related groups (some Kamori, Pateri, Tapri and White Tapri). The selection signatures were evaluated in each breed. A total of 2508 putative selection signals were reported. The 26 significant windows were identified in more than four breeds, and selection signatures spanned several genes that directly or indirectly influence traits included coat colour variation (KIT), reproduction (BMPR1B, GNRHR, INSL6, JAK2 and EGR4), body size (SOCS2), ear size (MSRB3) and milk composition (ABCG2, SPP1, CSN1S2, CSN2, CSN3 and PROLACTIN).

Sirtuin3 (SIRT3) gene molecular characterization and SNP detection in prolific and low prolific goat breeds

Sirtuin3 (SIRT3) is a member of the Sirtuin family of NAD+-dependent deacetylase. They have evolved as a vital protein in preventing the activation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in oocytes. A novel study on caprine SIRT3 was conducted, to characterize caprine SIRT3, to detect potential polymorphisms in SIRT3 and to analyze their association with litter size in the two indigenous goat breeds of India viz., the prolific Malabari and low prolific Attappady Black goats. A 1070 bp mRNA sequence of SIRT3 cDNA comprised of an ORF of 1002 bp encoding 333 amino acids, having 96% identity with bovine SIRT3. The genomic DNAs from the goats (n = 222) were subjected to PCR and single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) of exon 5 fragment (213 bp) of caprine SIRT3. On analysis, two genotypes viz., DD and DE were observed with frequencies of 0.63 and 0.37 respectively. Further sequencing of the PCR products of the respective genotypes revealed a novel synonymous SNP (MF176159:c.691C > T). Genotypes of this fragment had a significant influence on number of kids born (P < 0.05) with DD genotype being superior to DE genotype. These results highlight the role of SIRT3 in reproduction traits and the detected novel SNP would aid in the Marker Assisted Selection programmes and thus SIRT3 can considered as a potential candidate gene for reproduction traits in goats.

Farming practices and morphometric characterization of Andaman Local Goat

Andaman Local Goat (ALG) is an indigenous goat breed of Andaman and Nicobar islands. The present study was designed to characterize the ALG for its phenotypic characters, feeding and management system. Study revealed that these goats are medium to short in stature with colour combination of black, brown and white. Ears are flat and leaf-like, medium-sized and drooping. Both sexes have small horns, curved upward and backward. Flock size per family ranges from 5 to 35. Age at first mating, weight at first mating, age at first kidding, weight at first kidding, service period, kidding interval and gestation period were 260.0±15.0 days, 8.49±0.89 kg, 420.0±12.0 days, 13.26±1.61 kg, 101.20±11.23 days, 300.0±20.0 days and 147.0±2.0 days respectively. The common diseases observed were parasitic infestation, diarrhoea, bloat, grass poisoning, orf, and tetanus. The risk of extinction of the breed is increasing in these islands due to decrease in the number of breedable male and reduction in the total population. Efforts for conservation of this indigenous breed should be strengthened to save this breed from extinction.

Resilience of three indigenous goat breeds to heat stress based on phenotypic traits and PBMC HSP70 expression.

The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the influence of summer heat stress on physiological and behavioral responses of Osmanabadi, Salem Black, and Malabari goats. The study also evaluated the differences in heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) expression pattern between these breeds. The study was conducted over 45days during summer (April-May) using 36 1-year-old female goats by randomly allocating them into six groups with six animals in each group: Osmanabadi control (Osmanabadi CON), Osmanabadi heat stress (Osmanabadi HS), Malabari control (Malabari CON), Malabari heat stress (Malabari HS), Salem Black control (Salem Black CON), and Salem Black heat stress (Salem Black HS). The Osmanabadi CON, Malabari CON, and Salem Black CON animals were housed in a shed while the Osmanabadi HS, Malabari HS, and Salem Black HS groups were subjected to heat stress by exposing them to outside environment between 1000 and 1600h during the experimental period. All 36 animals were provided with ad libitum feed and water. The data generated were analyzed by general linear model (GLM) repeated measurement analysis of variance. Results indicated that the drinking frequency (DF) was higher (p < 0.01) in heat stress groups (12.58, 12.25, and 10.75 times for the Osmanabadi HS, Malabari HS, and Salem Black HS, respectively) as compared to their respective control groups (5.67, 6.25, 5.58 times for the Osmanabadi CON, Malabari CON, and Salem Black CON, respectively). Water intake (WI) also showed similar trend to DF. The urinating frequency also (UF) differed between breeds with lower value (p < 0.05) recorded in the Salem Black HS (1.5 times) compared to the Malabari HS (2.92 times). The highest (p < 0.05) rumination time (RuT) was recorded in the Malabari HS (48.00min) than both the Osmanabadi HS (20.91min) and Salem Black HS (23.67min). The heat stress increased (p < 0.05) all physiological variables at 1400h. The findings of this study suggest RR, RT, and PBMC HSP70 are reliable biological markers for evaluating thermo-tolerance capacity of indigenous goat breeds.

Genetic homogeneity of North-African goats.

North Africa represents a rich and early reservoir of goat genetic diversity, from which the main African breeds have been derived. In this study, the genetic diversity of four indigenous Algerian goat breeds (i.e., Arabia, Makatia, M’Zabite and Kabyle, with n = 12 for each breed) has been investigated for the first time by genome-wide SNP genotyping; moreover in a broader context, genetic structuration of Algerian and Moroccan goats was explored (via FST, MDS, STRUCTURE, FineSTRUCTURE, BAPS, sPCA and DAPC analyses). At national level, the study revealed high level of genetic diversity and a significant phenomenon of admixture affecting all the Algerian breeds. At broader scale, clear global genetic homogeneity appeared considering both Algerian and Moroccan stocks. Indeed, genetic structuration was almost nonexistent among Arabia (from Algeria), Draa, Black and Nord (from Morocco), while the ancestral Kabyle and M’Zabite breeds, reared by Berber peoples, showed genetic distinctness. The study highlighted the threat to the Maghrebin stock, probably induced by unsupervised cross-breeding practices which have intensified in recent centuries. Moreover, it underlined the necessity to deepen our understanding of the genetic resources represented by the resilient North-African goat stock.

Genome-Wide Characterization of Selection Signatures and Runs of Homozygosity in Ugandan Goat Breeds.

Both natural and artificial selection are among the main driving forces shaping genetic variation across the genome of livestock species. Selection typically leaves signatures in the genome, which are often characterized by high genetic differentiation across breeds and/or a strong reduction in genetic diversity in regions associated with traits under intense selection pressure. In this study, we evaluated selection signatures and genomic inbreeding coefficients, FROH, based on runs of homozygosity (ROH), in six Ugandan goat breeds: Boer (n = 13), and the indigenous breeds Karamojong (n = 15), Kigezi (n = 29), Mubende (n = 29), Small East African (n = 29), and Sebei (n = 29). After genotyping quality control, 45,294 autosomal single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) remained for further analyses. A total of 394 and 6 breed-specific putative selection signatures were identified across all breeds, based on marker-specific fixation index (FST-values) and haplotype differentiation (hapFLK), respectively. These regions were enriched with genes involved in signaling pathways associated directly or indirectly with environmental adaptation, such as immune response (e.g., IL10RB and IL23A), growth and fatty acid composition (e.g., FGF9 and IGF1), and thermo-tolerance (e.g., MTOR and MAPK3). The study revealed little overlap between breeds in genomic regions under selection and generally did not display the typical classic selection signatures as expected due to the complex nature of the traits. In the Boer breed, candidate genes associated with production traits, such as body size and growth (e.g., GJB2 and GJA3) were also identified. Furthermore, analysis of ROH in indigenous goat breeds showed very low levels of genomic inbreeding (with the mean FROH per breed ranging from 0.8% to 2.4%), as compared to higher inbreeding in Boer (mean FROH = 13.8%). Short ROH were more frequent than long ROH, except in Karamojong, providing insight in the developmental history of these goat breeds. This study provides insights into the effects of long-term selection in Boer and indigenous Ugandan goat breeds, which are relevant for implementation of breeding programs and conservation of genetic resources, as well as their sustainable use and management.

Detection of insertion/deletions (indels) of the &amp;lt;i&amp;gt;ATBF1&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt; gene and their effects on growth-related traits in three indigenous goat breeds

Abstract. The AT motif-binding factor (ATBF1), also known as zinc finger homeobox 3 (ZFXH3), is necessary for activating the POU1F1 gene; thus, the ATBF1 gene greatly affects the grow traits in animals. The objective of this work was to explore novel indel (insertion/deletion) variations and their associations with growth traits in three native Chinese goat breeds. Two indels within the ATBF1 gene were found in the Shaanbei white cashmere goat (SWCG; n=581), the Guanzhong dairy goat (GZDG; n=334) and the Hainan black goat (HNBG; n=270) for the first time using 12 pairs of primers. Association analysis revealed that the P1-12-bp indel was consistently correlated with the body height of the three breeds, and individuals with ID (insertion/deletion) and DD (deletion/deletion) genotypes had a higher body weight than the II (insertion/insertion) genotype (P=0.036); the P11-6-bp indel was consistently correlated with chest circumference and hip width of the three breeds. Moreover, these two loci were associated with other several growth-related traits in different breeds. Hence, these findings indicated that the goat ATBF1 gene had marked effects on growth traits and the growth-trait-related loci, which would contribute to improving the growth-related traits of local breeds in the goat industry by implementing marker-assisted selection (MAS).

Assessing actors in rural markets of sheep and goats in the Nyando Basin of Western Kenya: a key to improving productivity from smallholder farms.

Livestock traders are a key conduit for incentives in livestock production systems. Their actions affect producer prices, investment decisions, and their livelihoods. However, smallholder farmers in rural communities of eastern Africa often have limited understanding of the marketing process and the interactions among market actors. This study was undertaken following the introduction of improved indigenous goat and sheep breeds in Climate Smart Villages of Nyando in western Kenya. We sought to understand the marketing of sheep and goats in five key rural markets used by the smallholder farmers of Nyando, to generate information on key market actors, their functions in the value chain, and their preferences for attributes in sheep and goats. Most traders (65%) in all the markets were men. Four different types of traders operated in the markets, producers, retailers, wholesalers, and brokers, each making a profit. Preference for selling sheep or goats and the animal attributes desired by the traders differed depending on the surrounding community. Markets in Kericho County of Nyando traded more goats than sheep while those in Kisumu County of Nyando traded more sheep than goats. There were no clear policies guiding pricing of animals. Prices offered to producers depended on previous days, and the number of animals available for sale at the marketing point. The collaborative group actions of the producers in the Climate Smart Villages did not extend beyond the level of production to the marketing of their livestock. A critical change is required for the smallholder farmers to derive better incomes from improved quality of animals following adoption of improved breeding and management practices. The results illustrate the need to engage rural market actors when implementing livestock improvement programs for smallholder farmers for better farm gate prices of animals, and thus achieve the improved incomes envisioned.

A novel indel within goat casein alpha S1 gene is significantly associated with litter size

The ruminant casein gene family (CSNs, link as CSN1S1-CSN2-CSN1S2-CSN3) is characterized by diverse variations and has been extensively studied for ruminant milk traits, however, studies on insertion/deletion (indel) mutations within this gene family and their effects on prolificacy are extremely limited. This study aimed to detect possible novel indels within CSNs in an indigenous Chinese goat breed—Shaanbei White Cashmere goat (SBWC, n = 3047) and four other Chinese goat breeds (n = 1136) with varied litter size rates (105%–283%) and different estrus types (seasonal vs. perennial), as well as exploring the association between these potential indels and litter size. Only one novel 11-bp indel within the CSN1S1 gene was found. The association analyses uncovered that this novel indel was related to the first-birth litter size of SBWC population (n = 2690) (P < 1.0 E-8). Individuals with the II genotype (n = 676) had the best litter size when compared with those ID genotype (n = 1098) and DD genotype (n = 916) individuals. Animals with the II genotype were found to have higher relative expression level of CSN1S1 gene in the ovary (P < 0.01). Besides, Chi-square tests for different litter size and estrous cycle breeds showed that perennial-estrus breeds and multi-kids breeds had higher “I” allelic frequencies and “II” genotypic frequencies. These findings suggest the 11-bp indel within the CSN1S1 gene is significantly associated with reproduction traits and can be an effective molecular marker for litter size of goat breeding.

Genetic characterization of indigenous goat breeds in Romania and Hungary with a special focus on genetic resistance to mastitis and gastrointestinal parasitism based on 40 SNPs.

Goat breeding has become an important sector in Eastern Europe, with Romania and Hungary being among the major producer countries. Given the limited number of research done up-to-date concerning genetic studies of indigenous goat breeds reared in Romania and Hungary, the current preliminary study aimed to analyze the variability of genes related to mastitis and gastrointestinal parasitism by using Kompetitive Allele Specific PCR (KASP™). We studied 52 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) belonging to 19 genes in indigenous breeds from both countries, namely Banat’s White (n = 36), Carpatina (n = 35) from Romania and Hungarian Milking (n = 79) and identified 16 polymorphic SNPs among 10 genes (PTX3, IL6, CLEC4E, IL8, IL1RN, IL15RA, TNFSF13, SOCS3, TNF and TLR3) in 150 animals. Furthermore, the diversity of the studied breeds was investigated. The PIC values ranged from 0.042 to 0.691. The mean values of observed and expected heterozygosity were 0.235 and 0.246 respectively. The highest observed heterozygosity was obtained for IL15RA g.10343904C>T in Banat’s White (0.464), IL15RA g.10354813C>T in Carpatina (0.577) and SOCS3 g.52626440T>G in Hungarian Milking (0.588). Pairwise FST values between the Romanian breeds and Romanian and Hungarian breeds were small (0.009 and 0.015), indicating the close relationship among the studied goat populations. From all the polymorphic SNPs identified, the Hungarian Milking breed showed the highest proportion of polymorphisms (100%), whereas the Carpatina breed had the lowest percentage (87.5%). The highest value of MAF was obtained for SOCS3 g.52626440T>G (0.46), IL15RA g.10343904C>T (0.47), IL15RA g.10344025C>T (0.45), and IL15RA g.10354813C>T (0.42). The 16 polymorphic SNPs identified in a panel of 150 unrelated individuals belonging to three Romanian and Hungarian indigenous goat breeds could be used in future genomic based breeding schemes as markers for genetic resistance to mastitis and gastrointestinal parasitism in goat breeds found in Eastern and Central Europe.

Genome-wide population structure and admixture analysis reveals weak differentiation among Ugandan goat breeds.

SummaryUganda has a large population of goats, predominantly from indigenous breeds reared in diverse production systems, whose existence is threatened by crossbreeding with exotic Boer goats. Knowledge about the genetic characteristics and relationships among these Ugandan goat breeds and the potential admixture with Boer goats is still limited. Using a medium‐density single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) panel, we assessed the genetic diversity, population structure and admixture in six goat breeds in Uganda: Boer, Karamojong, Kigezi, Mubende, Small East African and Sebei. All the animals had genotypes for about 46 105 SNPs after quality control. We found high proportions of polymorphic SNPs ranging from 0.885 (Kigezi) to 0.928 (Sebei). The overall mean observed (HO) and expected (HE) heterozygosity across breeds was 0.355 ± 0.147 and 0.384 ± 0.143 respectively. Principal components, genetic distances and admixture analyses revealed weak population sub‐structuring among the breeds. Principal components separated Kigezi and weakly Small East African from other indigenous goats. Sebei and Karamojong were tightly entangled together, whereas Mubende occupied a more central position with high admixture from all other local breeds. The Boer breed showed a unique cluster from the Ugandan indigenous goat breeds. The results reflect common ancestry but also some level of geographical differentiation. admixture and f4 statistics revealed gene flow from Boer and varying levels of genetic admixture among the breeds. Generally, moderate to high levels of genetic variability were observed. Our findings provide useful insights into maintaining genetic diversity and designing appropriate breeding programs to exploit within‐breed diversity and heterozygote advantage in crossbreeding schemes.

Association of a SacII polymorphism in the Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) gene exon 3 with growth traits in Indian goats

Nerve Growth Factor expression in skeletal muscle tissue is associated with an autocrine action by its effect on the proliferation, fusion into myotubes and morphology of developing myoblasts. The objectives of this study were to verify the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in NGF gene and their association with growth traits in two indigenous native goat breeds of Kerala, viz., Malabari and Attappady Black. A total of 232 goats were genotyped using a polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) using the restriction enzyme SacII. One SNP, C291A was detected in coding region of the NGF gene, and accordingly two genotypes were revealed CC and CA. The frequencies of CC and CA genotypes were 0.66 and 0.34 in the population. In addition, a significant association between the SNP, C291A and growth traits was observed in the goat population under study. The goats with CA genotypes showed superior values for body conformation traits than those with CC genotypes. The association of NGF gene with these traits emphasizes the importance of caprine NGF as a candidate gene for marker assisted selection for growth traits in goats.

Whole genome population genetics analysis of Sudanese goats identifies regions harboring genes associated with major traits

BackgroundSudan is endowed with a variety of indigenous goat breeds which are used for meat and milk production and which are well adapted to the local environment. The aim of the present study was to determine the genetic diversity and relationship within and between the four main Sudanese breeds of Nubian, Desert, Taggar and Nilotic goats. Using the 50 K SNP chip, 24 animals of each breed were genotyped.ResultsMore than 96% of high quality SNPs were polymorphic with an average minor allele frequency of 0.3. In all breeds, no significant difference between observed (0.4) and expected (0.4) heterozygosity was found and the inbreeding coefficients (FIS) did not differ from zero. Fst coefficients for the genetic distance between breeds also did not significantly deviate from zero. In addition, the analysis of molecular variance revealed that 93% of the total variance in the examined population can be explained by differences among individuals, while only 7% result from differences between the breeds. These findings provide evidence for high genetic diversity and little inbreeding within breeds on one hand, and low diversity between breeds on the other hand. Further examinations using Nei’s genetic distance and STRUCTURE analysis clustered Taggar goats distinct from the other breeds. In a principal component (PC) analysis, PC1 could separate Taggar, Nilotic and a mix of Nubian and Desert goats into three groups. The SNPs that contributed strongly to PC1 showed high Fst values in Taggar goat versus the other goat breeds. PCA allowed us to identify target genomic regions which contain genes known to influence growth, development, bone formation and the immune system.ConclusionsThe information on the genetic variability and diversity in this study confirmed that Taggar goat is genetically different from the other goat breeds in Sudan. The SNPs identified by the first principal components show high Fst values in Taggar goat and allowed to identify candidate genes which can be used in the development of breed selection programs to improve local breeds and find genetic factors contributing to the adaptation to harsh environments.

Summer season induced rhythmic alterations in metabolic activities to adapt to heat stress in three indigenous (Osmanabadi, Malabari and Salem Black) goat breeds

A study was conducted to assess the adaptive capability of three indigenous goat breeds to heat stress. Thirty six 10 months to one-year-old female goats of Osmanabadi, Malabari and Salem Black breeds were randomly divided into six groups, OC (n = 6; Osmanabadi control), OHS (n = 6; Osmanabadi heat stress), MC (n = 6; Malabari control), MHS (n = 6; Malabari heat stress), SBC (n = 6; Salem Black control) and SBHS (n = 6; Salem Black heat stress). Among the metabolic activity controlling hormones, the breed factor significantly (P < 0.05) influenced only plasma triiodothyronine (T3). However, heat stress significantly (P < 0.05) decreased thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) in both MHS and SHS groups while significantly (P < 0.05) decreased the plasma T3 in MHS. The rumen metabolites such as acetate, propionate, butyrate and total volatile fatty acids (TVFAs) showed significant (P < 0.05) variation for both breed and treatment effect. The Salem Black breed did not show any significant variation for most of the rumen metabolites as compared to both Osmanabadi and Malabari breeds for the heat stress treatment. The study indicated the importance of the metabolic alterations in indigenous goat breeds to cope to the seasonal rhythms. The results indicated that on comparative basis, Salem Black breed adapted better to the heat stress challenges.

Goat production systems of Turkey: Nomadic to industrial

Goats play an important socio-economic role in many marginal rural areas of the world. Indigenous goat breeds have taken an important role in the livelihood strategies of impoverished farmers, especially those in harsh, remote areas. Those roles include their use as security and diversification of assets, social and cultural functions. They are also valued for their productive performance, adaptation and disease resistance. Turkey is one of the leading countries in the world for goat population and production. Hair, Kilis, Angora and Shami are the main goat breeds of the country. Hair goats are raised in many parts of the country but are concentrated particularly in the mountainous regions country, while the Angora breed is concentrated mainly in Central Anatolia. Kilis and Shami goats are known for their higher milk yield and litter size and are mainly focused in the south-east region of Turkey. Apart from these four breeds, the minor breeds such as Honamlı are located in the Bolkar Mountains in the Mediterranean region (specifically Antalya, Isparta and Konya) and the Norduz breed in Van province. A limited number of dairy goats such as Maltız, Saanen and their crossbreds are located in the Aegean and Marmara regions of Turkey. The population of goats in Turkey is about 11 million head. Hair goats make up approximately 10 million of the total number and the rest make up the balance. There are many reasons for goat production in Turkey, including the country’s geography and ecological condition, as well as the socio-economic situation of the rural communities. Goats have been raised in the Anatolian Plateau for many centuries providing dairy, meat, hide and hair to the inhabitants. It is the main source of animal protein for the rural masses in the mountainous regions of the country and less so for the urban population. Goats provide approximately 3% of the total red meat, 2.5% of the total milk and 18.5% of the total hide production for Turkey. They are also the only source of mohair and animal hair production in the country. Although their number and economic significance has decreased over the years, goat breeding still plays and important socio-economic role for the people living in remote areas of Turkey. Investments in intensive goat enterprises have increased significantly in the last few decades in Turkey although marketing margins across the value chain between producers, middlemen, processors, and consumers unjustifiably irregular.