• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.13-19
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• 2009

In the present study, genetic analyses of diversity and differentiation were performed on four breeds of Indian zebu cattle (Bos indicus). In total, 181 animals belonging to Ponwar, Kherigarh, Gangatiri and Kenkatha breeds were genotyped for 20 cattle specific microsatellite markers. Mean number of alleles observed per locus (MNA) varied between 5.75 (Kenkatha) to 6.05 (Kherigarh). The observed and expected heterozygosity for the breeds varied from 0.48 (Gangatiri) to 0.58 (Kherigarh) and 0.65 (Kenkatha) to 0.70 (Kherigarh), respectively. $F_{IS}$ estimates of all the breeds indicated significant deficit of heterozygotes being 28.8%, 25.9%, 17.7% and 17.7% for Gangatiri, Ponwar, Kherigarh and Kenkatha, respectively. The $F_{ST}$ estimates demonstrated that 10.6% was the average genetic differentiation among the breeds. Nei's genetic distance DA and Cavalli- Sforza and Edwards Chord distance ($D_C$) and the phylogenetic tree constructed from these reflected the close genetic relationship of Gangatiri and Kenkatha, whereas Ponwar appears to be more distant.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.19 no.12
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• pp.1685-1690
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• 2006

Kenkatha cattle, a draft purpose breed, which can survive in a harsh environment on low quality forage, was explored genetically exploiting FAO-suggested microsatellite markers. The microsatellite genotypes were derived by means of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by electrophoretic separation in agarose gels. The PCR amplicons were visualized by silver staining. The allelic as well as genotypic frequencies, heterozygosities and gene diversity were estimated using standard techniques. A total of 125 alleles was distinguished by the 21 microsatellite markers investigated. All the microsatellites were highly polymorphic with mean allelic number of 5.95${\pm}$1.9 (ranging from 3-10 per locus). The observed heterozygosity in the population ranged between 0.250 and 0.826 with a mean of 0.540${\pm}$0.171, signifying considerable genetic variation. Bottleneck was examined assuming all three mutation models which showed that the population has not experienced bottleneck in recent past. The population displayed a heterozygote deficit of 21.4%. The study suggests that the breed needs to be conserved by providing purebred animals in the breeding tract.