Assessing Genetic Diversity and Population Structure for Commercial Chicken Lines Based on Forty Microsatellite Analyses

Abstract

The aims of the current study were to assess genetic diversity, conduct genetic characterization, and evaluate usefulness of an individual assignment test for 12 commercial chicken lines using 40 microsatellite markers. A total of 268 distinct alleles were observed across the 12 lines, and 42 of the 268 alleles (15.7%) were unique to only 1 line. Mean observed heterozygosity within a line ranged from 0.295 to 0.664, and the highest value was obtained from 1 of the White Plymouth Rock lines. Significant deviations from the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium were observed at several locus-line combinations, showing excess of heterozygotes in many cases. As a whole, genetic differences among the lines estimated by the fixation index were high at 29.8%, whereas higher genetic similarity was observed among White Leghorn lines despite their different breeding histories. Assignment test could correctly allocate individuals at the line level to their origins, with a high accuracy (96.6%). Individual-based genetic characterization would be a usable step to conserve chicken genetic resources. Here, guidelines for future breeding and management of these lines by the poultry industry are provided.

Genotypic characterization of ten microsatellite loci in two Brazilian free range (Caipira) chicken lines

“…CLEMENTINO et al (2010) andFONTEQUE et al (2014) found an average number of 9.6 and 12.4 alleles per locus, respectively, in studies with microsatellites in free range chickens from Brazil. Lower values than the results found in this study were also described by AL-QAMASHOUI et al (2014) - 8.4 (VANHALA et al, 1998;KYSER et al, 2000;ZHANG et al, 2002;HILLEL et al, 2003;TADANO et al, 2007;BERTHOULY et al, 2008;ROSÁRIO et al, 2009;CHATTERJEE et al, 2010;TADANO et al, 2012;WILKINSON et al, 2012). Normally, it is expected that the genetic variability of commercial chickens lines had been reduced because they are selected for quantitative traits (HILLEL et al, 2003).…”

Genetic polymorphism of fifteen microsatellite loci in Brazilian (blue-egg Caipira) chickens

“…To commercial birds (breeds or lines) have been observed medium values of HE between 0.00 (highly inbred lines) and 0.74 and HO from 0.00 to 0.67 (Dávila et al 2009, Hillel et al 2003, Tadano et al 2007, Vanhala et al 1998, Zhang et al 2002, Zhou & Lamont 1999and Liu et al 2008. To non-commercial birds the values were from 0.56 to 0,86 (HE), and from 0.38 to 0.63 (HO) (Hillel et al 2003, Kaya et al 2008, Nasiri et al 2007, Nassiri et al 2007, Shahbazi et al 2007, Zhang et al 2002.…”

Phenotypic characteristics of Indonesian native chickens

“…Kedu chickens have high genetic diversity and genetically distant from other chickens (Ismoyowati et al 2012). According to Tadono et al (2007) degradation of genetic variability is caused by maintenance in the same environments; thus, in the caracteristics of beak, wing, femur, and tibiotarsus length there is no longer any variation.…”