Genetic differentiation of turkey breeds with microsatellite markers

One of the trends of modern industrial agriculture is the reduction of breed genetic recourses in farm animals and poultry. Current programs on maintenance of farm animals breeds are giving great attention to the genetic studies, including the use of microsatellite loci. The microsatellite analysis is one of the informative and accessible methods. During the implementation of the Global Project for the Measurement of Domestic Animal Genetic Diversity (MoDAD), 50 populations of different poultry species were studied using microsatellite markers. The works on biodiversity in turkeys initially involved chicken microsatellite loci ( Gallus gallus ), then informative loci were established for the genome of turkeys ( Meleagris gallopavo ). Data on genetic profiles, similarities, differences, and interbreed differentiation of turkeys breeds bred in the USA, Italy, Hungary and other countries have been accumulated. In the present work, the genetic relationship between the Russian turkey breeds and the turkey gene pool population of the University of Minnesota based on microsatellite markers was established for the first time. The obtained data indicate that the genetic distances between breeds is largely determined by their origin, breeding range, and the contribution of the gene pool of some breeds in creating and improving the productive qualities of other breeds. Our purpose was to study genetic diversity and interbreeding differentiation of turkeys of Russian and foreign breeding using microsatellite loci. The research was performed at the North Caucasus zonal experimental station for poultry farming in 2019. Blood samples were taken from 30 individuals of each of seven turkey breeds ( Meleagris gallopavo ) of the Russian selection (Belaya shirokogrudaya, BSH; Bronzovaya Severokavkazskaya, BrSK; Belaya Severokavkazskaya, BeSK; Serebristaya Severokavkazskaya, SSK; Moscowskaya Belaya, MB; Chernaya Tikhoretskaya, CHT; Uzbekskaya palevaya, UP). DNA was isolated according to the protocol for the commercial AmpliPrime DNA-sorb-B kit (InterLabService, Russia). The amount and quality of isolated DNA were assayed using a standard spectrophotometric method (a NanoDrop 2000 spectrophotometer, Thermo Scientific, USA). Genotyping was performed for 12 microsatellite loci (MNT9-MNT20). The described genotypes of turkeys gene pool farm (AM) (Nicholas Turkey Breeding Farms) of the University of Minnesota were used for comparison with the genotypes of turkeys of Russian breeds. The average number and number of effective alleles per locus (Na, Ne), the degree of observed and expected heterozygosity (No, Ne), and Shannon index (I) were determined. The genetic structure of populations was assessed based on the FST values and genetic distances according to M. Nei. The Neighbor Joining Method was used to construct the phylogenetic tree. It was shown that low genetic diversity is characteristic of both Russian breeds of turkeys and the AM population. The number of identified alleles in the microsatellite loci as a whole in the breed sample varied from 1 to 4, the average number of alleles per locus ranged from 1.0 to 1.83. The least genetic difference occurred between the MB and BSH breeds. The BeSK, SSK, and BrSK breeds formed a separate node, with BrSK exhibiting the greatest genetic distance, forming the largest branch by genetic distance. Separate branches at relatively equal distances formed the breeds CHT, UP, and AM population. Thus, our findings confirm an insignificant genetic diversity of the gene pool of the studied Russian turkeys’ breeds and populations as compared to the gene pool of other species of farm animals.