Genetic Diversity of Kedah Kelantan Cattle Breed and Its Crossbred types in Malaysia Based on Microsatellite Markers

Abstract

Background The Kedah Kelantan (KK) is the indigenous cattle breed of Malaysia and is mainly kept by small farmers for meat production because of its small and compact body, and low maintenance requirement. This breed faces risk of germplasm dilution due to extensive crossbreeding and breeds replacement practices in the country. The population size of purebred KK is fast decreasing and most of the commercial populations are actually crossbreds. There is a lack of information on the genetic characteristics of KK. The genetic relationships between the KK, the synthetic breeds developed using the KK as the maternal line, as well as the non-descriptive KK crossbred types are also unknown. It is with these in mind that the present study was conducted. The objective of the study was to evaluate the genetic variability within and among the indigenous KK cattle and its crossbred types in Malaysia using 30 microsatellites loci. Results All the 30 microsatellites loci used were polymorphic in all populations. Heterozygosity values observed were moderate and lower than the expected values. The inbreeding was present in all populations and could lead to loss of genetic diversity if not addressed. In general, the genetic differentiation measures were moderate, with a mean FST of 0.054. The structure analysis grouped the populations into three clusters. Analysis of zebu and taurine diagnostic alleles showed that all population had high proportion of Indian zebu alleles and very low proportions of African taurine and European taurine diagnostic alleles. Conclusions It may be concluded that there is still some genetic variation present in the KK. However, this genetic diversity is at risk of being lost if no appropriate breeding practices are implemented.