Microsatellite polymorphism and reproductive performance of semi-fine-wool sheep in the Near Arctic

Microsatellite profiles and some reproductive traits of semi-fine-wool sheep of the Pechora population were studied. The purpose of the study was to identify possible relationships between STR markers and genes or their complexes that control genetic variability of adaptability traits in semi-fine-wool sheep in the Near Arctic. Genetic analyses were performed using the COrDIS Sheep reagent kit for 12 loci and the AMEL sex marker. The genotyping results were processed in the Structure Version 2.3.4 and GenAlEx 6.5 programs. The entire array of the genotyped sheep was divided into two groups by breed. The first group included crossbreeds of the ‘Pechora breed group × Romney Marsh’, the second group included three-breed crossbreeds of the ‘Pechora breed group × Romney Marsh × Kuibyshev breed’. The data array in the Structure Version 2.3.4 program was divided into four clusters with a probability threshold of ≥ 0.75. Animals whose probability of membership in one cluster did not reach the threshold level were combined into a "zero" (composite) cluster. The genetic distance between groups 1 and 2 was 0.015. The first group is represented by polylocus genotypes assigned to three clusters; the second group is represented by polylocus genotypes assigned to five clusters. The minimum genetic distances according to Wright and Nei (unbiased estimate) were established between the zero and first clusters. The value of these indicators for the first and second clusters was FST = 0.047, uDN = 0.354. Between the first and third clusters, the third and fourth clusters genetic distances were maximum. Within groups 1 and 2, no reliable differences in fertility indicators between individuals of different clusters were found. Differences between the individuals of the second group of the fourth cluster and the individuals of the first group of the first cluster in the age of first lambing, milk production, reproduction rate and intensity of lamb growth before weaning were reliable at p ≤ 0.001, p ≤ 0.01, p ≤ 0.01, p ≤ 0.05, respectively. Despite the low genetic distance between the first and second groups by microsatellites, the difference between them in the average age of first lambing, reproduction rate and intensity of offspring growth before weaning was reliable at p ≤ 0.05, p ≤ 0.01 and p ≤ 0.05, respectively. Crossbreeding of the Pechora population sheep with the Kuibyshev breed had a negative effect on some indices of sheep fertility and the intensity of offspring growth during the suckling period. To obtain more definite conclusions on the relationship between microsatellite polymorphism and some selective traits of sheep, it is necessary to increase the number of samples.

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