Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to analyse the genetic diversity, genetic relationship and breed structure of ten local Swedish chicken breeds. A total of 127 chickens from ten breeds were genotyped using 24 autosomal microsatellite markers. Genotyping was performed by amplifying the genomic DNA using multiplex PCR kits and fragment analysis was carried out using genetic analyzer. A total of 124 alleles were detected in all populations, with a mean number of 5.17 alleles per locus. Within breeds, the observed and expected heterozygosities ranged from 0.219 to 0.417 and 0.231 to 0.559 respectively, and three breeds (Gotlandshöna, Hedemorahöna and Skånsk blommehöna) showed significant deviations from Hardy-Weinberg expectations. Similarly, 6 of the 24 loci were significantly deviated from Hardy-Weinberg. Inbreeding within breeds (FIS) was generally high with the overall across loci and breed being 0.181. Due to small sample sizes in 50% of the breeds, the genetic relationship between breeds shown in the neighbor-joining tree was supported by low bootstrap values. The results of the breed structure analysis revealed that the Gotlandshöna, Hedemorahöna, Öländsk Dvärghöna and Svarthöna breeds formed their own distinct clusters, but breeds with small sample sizes (Skånsk blommehöna, Åsbohöna, Kindahöna, Ölandshöna, Gammelsvensk Dvärghöna and Orusthöna) clustered together. The results of the current study can be used as baseline genetic information that can be assimilated with genetic conservation programs, for instance, to control inbreeding within breeds and to implement further genetic studies in local Swedish chickens.