Genetic diversity analysis of hybrid Karachaev goats (Capra hircus) population using microsatellite marker data

Abstract The Karachaev goat is an indigenous breed that possesses unique features including significantly less fat deposition in the body compared to sheep and cattle, ability to graze at an altitude of up to 1200 meters and to produce fertile hybrids with wild relatives. To understand the genetic diversity and population structure of hybrids between domestic Karachaev goats (Capra hircus) and The West Caucasian tur (Capra caucasica) 143 individuals were analyzed using 10 microsatellites panel. Sample were analyzed according to the manufacturer’s recommendations on an automatic sequencer, ABI 3130XL genetic analyzer (Applied Biosystems). Genetic diversity was calculated using GenAlEx 6.503 software. Genotyping of ten microsatellite loci in hybrid forms of Karachaev goats and turs detected 106 alleles in total. Na values ranged from five (INR063) to seventeen (SRCRSO008), averaging 10.6 alleles per locus across the 10 loci. All loci were polymorphic. The average number of alleles was 10.6 alleles per locus. This is higher than the similar indicator obtained by Kharzinova et al. (2019) in populations of Soviet wool, Tajik wool, Orenburg downy, Alpine and Zaanen dairy breeds of goats, studied using the panel of same 10 STR-markers (9.3 loci). Other key indexes of genetic diversity could be found in table 1. The values of the coefficient FIS suggest the absence of related mating in the herd. Information on genotypic variability of Karachaev goats hybrid forms obtained here will contribute into the breeding programs improvement and to preservation of existing native breeds.