Genetic characteristics of trapping horses based on microsatellite DNA loci

Tests of trapping horse breeds in Russia are increasingly attracting the attention of tens of thousands of amateurs and specialists. Races are spread all over the world, and in Russia they are held at many race courses. The purpose of the research is to study the genetic characteristics of four trapping horse breeds, to conduct a comparative genetic and population analysis of 17 microsatellite DNA loci, and to determine the genetic similarity between trapping breeds. The authors selected horses from the Russia’s leading stud farms. The sample included horses of four trapping breeds: the Oryol Trotter (n = 4177); the American Standardbred (n = 434); the Russian Trotter (n = 975) and the French Trotter (n = 381). Genotyping of all selected number was carried out in the genetics laboratory of the FSBIS “ARRI of House Breeding” for 17 microsatellite DNA loci: AHT4, AHT5, ASB2, HMS1, HMS2, HMS3, HMS6, HMS7, HTG4, HTG6, HTG7, HTG10, VHL20, ASB23, ASB17, LEX3 and CA425. Whenstudying the genetic parameters of representatives of four trapping horse breeds, the authors performed a population-genetic analysis based on the frequency of occurrence of types and alleles of 17 microsatellite loci, the polymorphy level (Ае), and the degree of observed (Но)and expected (Не) heterozygosity. The researchers calculated the eff e number of allelesat each locus and the inbreeding coeffi Fis. Calculated between trapping horse breeds based on microsatellite loci, the coeffi of genetic similarity showed a very high genetic similarity between the Russian and American standardbred breeds (0.994). French, Russian,and American standardbred breeds form a common cluster and have high rates of genetic relation (0.932-0.994). The genetic features study of trapping horses by microsatellite loci indicates the existence of a peculiar genetic structure in the breeds and certain interbreed diff es that refl genetic relationships. Genetic and population analysis allows not only evaluating, but also comparing the diversity and genetic similarity (relation) of diff populations.