The genetic variability analysis of the Amiata donkey breed by molecular data

Abstract

This study presents the results of the genetic characterization of the Amiata donkey breed using STR markers. A total of 18 microsatellite loci were analysed in 50 unrelated individuals reared in Tuscany and in Lazio (34 and 16 animals respectively). The average number of alleles per locus was moderate (5.61&plusmn;2.893), ranging from 2 (ASB02) to 13 (HTG7). Mean observed heterozygosity was 0.579, whereas mean expected heterozygosity was 0.609. Six markers showed a significant (P<0.01) deviation from the Hardy-Weinberg proportions. The average similarity values within the two groups were 0.523 &plusmn; 0.020 for animals reared in Tuscany and 0.458 &plusmn; 0.016 for those reared in Lazio (total average similarity 0.489 &plusmn; 0.019) while inbreeding coefficients were respectively 0.440 and 0.390

Genetic Diversity and Variability in Endangered Pantesco and Two Other Sicilian Donkey Breeds Assessed by Microsatellite Markers

“…In terms of mean number of alleles, the genetic variability observed in the three Sicilian donkey breeds was lower than that reported in five Spanish breeds [12] and three Croatian breeds [28], but higher than that observed in the Amiata donkey from Italy [29]. In our sample, expected heterozygosity was lower than that inferred in European breeds in the above-mentioned studies [12–29] and in eight Chinese breeds [30].…”

Investigation on the genetic variability of the american Pit Bull Terrier dogs belonging to an Italian breeder using microsatellite markers and genealogical data

“…This value is higher than those reported on other species such as cattle (0.281 [30]; 0.374-0.420 [31]) and sheep (0.318-0.370 [32]), but lower than that reported on Bracco Italiano dog breed (0.455 [12]) and on an endangered donkey breed (0.489 [33]). …”

“…With the exception of the values reported on Bracco Italiano dog breed [12] and on Amiata donkey breed [33] the values observed in our study for the mean molecular coancestry (f ii = 0.348), and for the inbreeding coefficient (F i = 0.357) were clearly greater than that reported in literature on other species such as cattle [31], sheep [32,34] and horse [35] while the kinship distance (D k = = 0.330) was smaller than data reported in literature.…”

Banat donkey, a neglected donkey breed from the central Balkans (Serbia)

“…Although in this study we used genetic profiles at the nuclear DNA level of only seven adult Banat donkey females, all the parameters of genetic diversity calculated for this group were similar or even higher compared to those observed in the two larger sub-populations of Balkan donkey females (Table 4), and also in populations of other donkey breeds distributed worldwide (Jordana, Folch & Sanchezm, 1999;Jordana et al, 2016;Aranguren-Mendez, Jordana & Gomez, 2001;Ivankovic et al, 2002;Blasi et al, 2005;Ciampolini et al, 2007;Zhu et al, 2013;Matassino et al, 2014;Rosenbom et al, 2015). Furthermore, two private alleles were observed in Banat donkeys characterized also by the significant excess of heterozygotes.…”

“…Donkeys are still amongst the least studied and most neglected livestock species of the world (Blench, 2000). The persistence of donkey breeds worldwide is threatened by the rapid decline of their populations (e.g., Ivankovic et al, 2002;Ciampolini et al, 2007;Bordonaro et al, 2012;Quaresma et al, 2014), and actions concerning their conservation and establishment of breeding programs are therefore urgently needed (FAO, 2015). They depend on proper identification of donkey breeds, data on breeding populations and their phenotypic and genetic characterization which are still incomplete (Kugler, Grunenfelder & Broxham, 2008).…”