Animal Biotechnology

Molecular Biology and Genetics

Electronic Journal of Biotechnology ISSN: 0717-3458 Vol. 10 No. 4, Issue of October 15, 2007
© 2007 by Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso -- Chile Received January 18, 2007 / Accepted May 25, 2007
DOI: 10.2225/vol10-issue4-fulltext-12
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Assessment of genetic structure in Mexican charolais herds using microsatellite markers

Ana María Sifuentes-Rincón*
Laboratorio de Biotecnología Animal I
Centro de Biotecnología Genómica
Instituto Politécnico Nacional
Boulevard del Maestro, esq. Elías Piña
Col. Narciso Mendoza, Cd. Reynosa
C.P. 88710, Tam. México
Tel: 52 899 924 36 27, Ext. 87723
Fax: 52 899 925 16 56
E-mail: asifuentes@ipn.mx

Herlinda Puentes-Montiel
 Laboratorio de Biotecnología Animal I
Centro de Biotecnología Genómica
Instituto Politécnico Nacional
Boulevard del Maestro, esq. Elías Piña, Col. Narciso Mendoza
Cd. Reynosa, Tam. México. C.P. 88710
Tel: 52 899 924 36 27
Fax: 52 899 925 16 56
E-mail: pmherlin@hotmail.com

Gaspar Manuel Parra-Bracamonte
 Laboratorio de Biotecnología Animal I
Centro de Biotecnología Genómica
Instituto Politécnico Nacional
Boulevard del Maestro, esq. Elías Piña, Col. Narciso Mendoza
Cd. Reynosa, Tam. México. C.P. 88710
Tel: 52 899 924 36 27
Fax: 52 899 925 16 56
E-mail: gparra@ipn.mx

*Corresponding author

Financial support: We acknowledge financial support from CGPI-IPN Research Grant.

Keywords: charolais, genetic diversity, microsatellite.

Abbreviations:

HW: Hardy-Weinberg
PCR: polymerase chain reaction
PIC: polymorphic information content
Abstract
Full Text

Knowledge of livestock genetic diversity is an essential step to respond to commercial demands and reach production objectives in different environments and production systems. The evaluation of animal genetic diversity is achieved by using molecular markers. Microsatellites are the most used markers for studies of this type. Eleven microsatellites were used to evaluate the genetic variation from three populations of Charolais cattle located in northeast Mexico. The studied populations exhibited a high allelic variability with a mean heterozygosity of 0.5. A moderate genetic differentiation between the Charolais populations (FST = 0.079; P < 0.001) was observed. This suggests subdivisions in Charolais breed established in Mexico, due to genetic material origin, reproductive and selective management and local isolation.
Supported by UNESCO / MIRCEN network