Phylogenetic Relationships among Indigenous Sheep Populations in East Asia based on Five Informative Blood Protein and Nonprotein Polymorphisms

Abstract

The phylogenetic relationships among 23 local sheep breeds and varieties in East Asia were determined based on allele frequency data for five informative and polymorphic blood protein and nonprotein loci (transferrin, arylesterase, hemoglobin-beta, X-protein, and potassium transport) using electrophoresis and ion-densitometric techniques. Comparatively striking differences in the frequency distributions, especially of hemoglobin-beta and X-protein alleles, were seen between the northern population of the Khalkhas, Bhyanglung, Baruwal, Jakar, Sakten, and five Chinese breeds and the southern population of the Bengal, Kagi, Lampuchhre, Myanmar, and Sipsu breeds. Clustering analyses using UPGMA and NJ methods and principal component analysis, using the data of all populations and loci tested, clearly demonstrated the difference. The two population groups are divided by the boundary of the Himalayas, and each diverged into three subgroups: Mongolian, Tibetan, and Himalayan groups in the north and Indian groups I, II, and III in the south. It was noted that the genetic differentiation of populations was more distinct in the northern group. These findings strongly suggest the existence of at least two large and phylogenetically different gene pools of sheep in East Asia.

Genomic analysis identified a potential novel molecular mechanism for high-altitude adaptation in sheep at the Himalayas

“…2). This observation is also supported by previous conclusion made from biochemical study5. The two distinct high-altitude sheep groups provided a great opportunity to compare the adaptive mechanism within domestic sheep.…”

“…Kage and Lampuchhre sheep are two lowland breeds, distributed in the areas below 1500 masl. An earlier phylogenetic studies using blood proteins showed that Bhyanglung, as well as Tibetan and Changthangi sheep were derived from the Tibetan sheep group, and Baruwal belongs to Himalayan group, while Kage and Lampuchhre are associated with Indian group5. However, no genome-wide analysis was performed to examine the intra- and/or inter-population genetic variability or to detect the selection signatures for the high-altitude adaptation among these four major Nepalese sheep.…”

Prion Protein Polymorphisms and Estimation of Risk of Scrapie in East Asian Sheep

“…This difference is predictable because the northern sheep group has high heterozygosity compared with the southern sheep group. Such a great difference has resulted from the clustering analysis of blood protein and nonprotein polymorphisms in East Asian sheep (Tsunoda et al 2006). The polymorphisms at three PrP codons are of phylogenetic interest for us.…”

Genetic structure of indigenous sheep breeds in Nigeria based on electrophoretic polymorphous systems of transferrin and haemoglobin

“…This is due to the decreased haematocrit values, lower blood viscosity and more availability of water associated with Hb B blood types compared to Hb A types. This is buttressed by the reports of Tsunoda et al (2006) that Hb A allele has a high affinity for oxygen and is important for survival in mountain areas at altitudes over 3000 m and Pieragostini et al (2006)…”