Authors : Zhen-Hua Zhao, Jian-Zhong Xi, Qing Jia, Shou-Feng Li and Hua-Yun Huang
Abstract: With growing concern about maintenance of genetic variation and conservation of gene resources, the question arises on how to preserve the gene pool of a species. In this study, genetic diversity of 10 microsatellite locis was analyzed in Chai chicken breed. Allele frequency, effective number of alleles, heterozygosity, Polymorphism Information Content (PIC), F-statistics, migration rate and genetic bottleneck hypothesis were calculated. Number of alleles observed across the microsatellite loci varied from 3-8 with an overall mean of 5.0. Average observed Heterozygosity (Ho) and PIC amongst populations ranged from 0.5353-0.5614 and 0.5108-0.5199, respectively. To analyze population structure, pair wise Fst coefficients explained only 8.4% variability from the breed differences, the rest variability stems from individual differences. Gene flow of microsatellite loci was 2.7794, the result showed no significant genetic differentiation among populations. Bottleneck analysis indicated heterozygosis was obvious and group did not in the balance between mutation and excursion for its bottleneck. Researchers suggest that the moderate level of genetic diversity retained in Chai populations has the potential to supply sufficient genetic diversity for the species conservation through the recruitment of Chai resources in origin region and individuals exchanging among conservation farms.
Zhen-Hua Zhao, Jian-Zhong Xi, Qing Jia, Shou-Feng Li and Hua-Yun Huang, 2014. Genetic Structure and the Conservation of Genetic Resources of Chai Chicken. Journal of Animal and Veterinary Advances, 13: 740-744.