Genetic variability of two Italian indigenous chicken breeds inferred from microsatellite marker analysis

Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine the genetic structure and variability of Bionda Piemontese and Bianca di Saluzzo (Piedmont, Northwest Italy) using an international set of microsatellite loci (AVIANDIV-FAO). Differences compared with commercial lines and other Italian breeds were verified to justify the implementation of conservation programmes. Flock contribution to genetic variability was assessed following the approach implemented in the MolKin software. Comparison was performed using the fixation index and the Reynolds genetic distance. The most likely number of different populations was estimated using the clustering procedure implemented in STRUCTURE. The molecular information suggests that management practices could have prevented random mating and produced inbreeding and heterogeneity across flocks. In this respect, Bionda and Bianca show substructuring and are more similar to British breeds than other continental European breeds. Bionda and Bianca fit into the European breeds provided with the highest number of alleles and expected heterozygosity. There is a clear distinction between the Piedmont breeds and the other populations. The Piedmont poultry differ from both commercial lines and other Italian breeds and retain a high level of genetic variability. As for other indigenous breeds, Bionda and Bianca could make an original contribution to the industry in the future. A collective planned approach to restoration is essential, because the flocks are managed with poor regulation. Enhancing connection between breeders with an efficient replacement interchange and mating plan is the right way of controlling inbreeding, preventing substructuring and increasing variability within the flocks.

Genome-Wide SNP Analysis Reveals the Population Structure and the Conservation Status of 23 Italian Chicken Breeds

“…The Padovana and Polverara breeds have close genetic relationships, as expected, as Padovana contributed to the origin of Polverara [3]. PLB, PLN, and MOD appear in a close neighborhood because they share the same historic crossbreeding [18,23]. In the same cluster, the ROM and ANC breeds are also present, as the same genetic background is maintained among the breeds as previously reported by other authors [23].…”

“…The observed and expected heterozygosity show different values compared to those from preview studies in the Veneto region based on microsatellite markers [3], as well as those for ANC, MOD, ROM, and VLD [23]. The results for BPT, BSA, PLN, PLB, MER, and SIC agree with previous studies [18]. There are no data in the literature on genetic variability of VLP, MUG, and COR.…”

Sinai and Norfa chicken diversity revealed by microsatellite markers

“…Molecular data can be used to provide more accurate information on population structures, genetic variation and breeding patterns of chicken populations for future evaluations (Abebe et al, 2015;Mercan & Okumuş, 2015), helping in the design of new strategies to improve in-situ conservation plans. In this regard, many techniques have been used recently, but microsatellite markers are one of the best techniques to determine genetic diversity and relations in poultry populations (Liao et al, 2016;Sartore et al, 2016) due to their multi-allelic, co-dominant inheritance, high polymorphic information, loci specification, richness, distribution through the genome, genotyping and scoring simplicity. Tadano et.…”

Genetic diversity of Saudi native chicken breeds segregating for naked neck and frizzle genes using microsatellite markers

“…It can be assumed that indigenous breeds contain genes and alleles relevant to their adaptation to particular environmental circumstances and specific breeding strategies [ 5 , 6 ]. Using microsatellite markers as a tool for genetic diversity analysis among chicken breeds are well established [ 7 – 10 ]. It is an effective method to assess genetic diversity within and between chicken populations because they are highly polymorphic, show co-dominant inheritance, found to be abundant and evenly distributed throughout the genome [ 11 – 14 ].…”