DNA MICROSATELLITE INFORMATIVENESS, ALLELE FREQUENCIES AND THEIR DISTRIBUTION IN THE GENOME OF MACEDONIAN AUTOCHTHONOUS SHEEP POPULATIONS

Abstract

As a result of natural selection, management system, environment pressure, different populations of Pramenka sheep in South East Europe developed distinctive productive and phenotype characteristics which are sufficient to distinguish them. In this study, the informativeness of fifteen DNA microsatellite markers in the genome of 105 individuals from three indigenous sheep populations in the country (Sharplaninian, Karakachanian and Ovchepolian) was analysed. In overall population, 281 different alleles were observed. The average number of alleles per locus in total population was 18.73, the mean He in overall population was 0.824, so all loci were highly polymorphic with PIC value higher than 0.5. Mean number of alleles per locus, at population level, were 12.13, 11.53 and 13.27 alleles in the genome of Sharplaninian, Ovchepolian and Karakachanian sheep populations, respectively. Results from this research will improve knowledge of the sheep genetic resources in the country at DNA level and will provide appropriate information for further conservation.