Sixteen microsatellite markers were used to investigate the genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationship among Moshtohor line rabbits (M-line) and their parental lines of Spanish V-line and Sinai Gabali rabbits using the French Giant Papillon (FGP) as a reference population. A total of 100 animals viz. 25 rabbits from each population were used. Microsatellite markers of INRACCDDV0003, SAT2, SAT3, SAT4, SAT5, SAT7, SAT8, SAT12, SAT13, SAT16, SOL30, SOL33, SOL44, D3Utr2, D6Utr4 and D7Utr5 were chosen. All microsatellite loci typed were polymorphic. The average number of alleles per locus was 6.75 and the average polymorphic information content (PIC) was 0.76; and ranged from 0.60 at locus SAT2 to 0.86 at SAT16 and SOL33 loci. The observed heterozygosity averaged 0.65±0.03, and ranged from 0.37 in SAT4 locus to 0.79 in SOL44 and D6Utr4 loci, while the expected heterozygosity averaged 0.71±0.01, and ranged from 0.66 in SAT2 locus to 0.88 in SAT16 and SOL33 loci. All loci, except SAT7, showed deviations from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium with highly significant level. The highest reduction in heterozygosity (FIS) was 0.437 in locus SAT4, and the lowest reduction was -0.135 in locus D3Utr2. The estimates of FIS across the loci and populations were positive and averaged 0.083± 0.043. The value of FST over the studied populations averaged 0.107±0.017 with the range from 0.042 for SAT13 and SOL44 loci to 0.311 for SAT2 locus. The differences among the populations in allele frequencies and their sizes were non-significant. The lowest pairwise FST value (0.08) and the closest pairwise Nei’s genetic distance (0.18) were recorded between M-line and V-line rabbits. Neigbour-Joining phylogenetic tree showed that M-line and V-line were clustered together in one clade. Moshtohor line rabbits recorded the highest value of observed (0.758) and expected (0.742) heterozygosity, while the Gabali breed recorded the lowest value of observed heterozygosity (0.533) and the highest value of inbreeding coefficient (FIS=0.266). The highest value for Nei`s genetic distance was recorded between V-line and FGP rabbits (0.35), while the closest pairwise Nei`s distance was recorded between V-line and M-line (0.18). The most probable structure clustering the four populations studied was detected between V-line and M-line rabbits. |
