Genome-wide SNP analysis clearly distinguished the Belarusian Red cattle from other European cattle breeds.

Local breeds can serve as an important source of genetic variability in domestic animal species. This study aimed to assess the genetic diversity and population structure of Belarusian Red cattle and their differentiation from other European cattle populations based on genome-wide SNP genotypes. Twenty pedigree-recorded non-closely related cows of Belarusian Red cattle were genotyped using the Illumina BovineHD BeadChip. Genotypes of 22 other European cattle breeds were included in the study for comparison. A total of 28 562 SNPs passed through the quality control checks and were selected for analysis. The Belarusian Red cattle displayed a moderate level of genetic variability (U HE  = 0.341, HO  = 0.368), and the highest heterozygote excess (U FIS  = -0.066), among the studied breeds; this reflects the contribution of multiple breeds to their formation. The principal component analysis, FST -based Neighbor-Net tree and Admixture clustering, clearly distinguished the Belarusian Red cattle from the other European cattle breeds. Moreover, the presence of ancestral genomic components of Danish Red and Brown Swiss breeds were clearly visible, which agrees with the breed's history and its recent development. Our study highlights the importance of maintaining the specific genomic components, which makes a significant contribution to the global genetic diversity in the modern population of Belarusian Red cattle, allowing us to consider them a valuable national genetic resource. Our research results will be useful for the development of conservation programs for this local cattle breed.

Characteristics of the Allele Pool and the Genetic Differentiation of Goats of Different Breeds and their Wild Relatives by Str-Markers.

Based on 16 STR-loci, the allele pool and interbreed differentiation of goat breeds of Russian and foreign breeding were investigated in this study. These breeds included Karachai (KRCH-K, n=73, mountain zone; KRCH-Z, n=33, foothill zone), Dagestan Downy (DAGD, n=30), Dagestan Wool (DAGW, n=30), Soviet Wool (SOVW, n=30), Saanen (SAAN, n=34), Murciano-Granadina (MURS, n=37), as well as wild goats, represented by three species of mountain goats (n=52): Siberian Capricorn (Capra sibirica) of Altai (CSIB-S, n=6), Tajikistan (CSIB-T, n=4), Kyrgyzstan (CSIB-K, n=6), and the Himalayas (CSIB-H, n=4); Bezoar goat (Capa aegagrus) of Turkey (CAEG, n=3) and Pakistan (CAEG-S, n=3); West Caucasian tur (Capra caucasica): western Caucasian (Kuban, CCAU-K, n=10), central Caucasian (CCAU-M, n=8), and eastern Caucasian (Dagestan, CCAU-D, n=8). The highest genetic diversity was observed in the North Caucasus breeds, such as Karachai, Dagestan Downy, and Dagestan Wool. The mean numbers of alleles per locus and allelic diversity were 7.385-9.154 and 7.353-7.713, respectively. The genetic proximity of Caucasian breeds was confirmed by cluster analysis, and they formed a common branch with the highest genetic affinity, while the Orenburg and Soviet Wool breeds formed another branch, and the third branch with the least affinity was the dairy breed of foreign selection.The analysis of the phylogenetic tree of domestic and wild species established the formation of three clusters formed by the subspecies of the West Caucasian tur, Siberian ibex, and breeds of domestic goats. At the same time, populations of the Bezoar goats were localized at the root of the last cluster, which confirmed their role as the ancestors of domestic goats.

The pattern of genetic diversity of different breeds of pigs based on microsatellite analysis.

One of the main tasks of genetics and animal breeding is the assessment of genetic diversity and the study of genetic relationships between different breeds and populations using molecular genetic analysis methods. We analysed the polymorphism of microsatellites and the information on the state of genetic diversity and the population structure of local breeds in Russia: the Kemerovo, the Berkshire, the Liven, the Mangalitsa, and the Civilian; in the Republic of Belarus: the Large White and the Black-and-White; and in Ukraine: the White Steppe, as well as commercial breeds of imported origin of domestic reproduction: the Large White, the Landrace, and the Duroc. The materials used for this study were the tissue and DNA samples extracted from 1,194 pigs and DNA of the UNU "Genetic material bank of domestic and wild animal species and birds" of the L.K. Ernst Federal Research Center for Animal Husbandry. Polymorphisms of 10 microsatellites (S0155, S0355, S0386, SW24, SO005, SW72, SW951, S0101, SW240, and SW857) were determined according to the previously developed technique using DNA analyser ABI3130xl. To estimate the allele pool of each population, the average number of alleles (NA), the effective number of alleles (NE ) based on the locus, the rarified allelic richness (AR), the observed (HO ) and expected (HE ) heterozygosity, and the fixation index (FIS) were calculated. The degree of genetic differentiation of the breeds was assessed based on the pairwise values of FST and D. The analysis of the allelic and genetic diversity parameters of the local breeds showed that the maximum and minimum levels of polymorphism were observed in pigs of the Ukrainian White Steppe breed (NA = 6.500, NE = 3.709, and AR = 6.020) and in pigs of the Duroc breed (NA = 4.875, NE = 2.119, and AR = 3.821), respectively. The highest level of genetic diversity was found in the Large White breed of the Republic of Belarus (HO = 0.707 and NE = 0.702). The minimum level of genetic diversity was found in pigs of the imported breeds - the Landrace (HO = 0.459, HE = 0.400) and the Duroc (HO = 0.480, HE = 0.469) - indicating a high selection pressure in these breeds. Based on the results of phylogenetic analysis, the genetic origin of Large White pigs, the breeds, from which the Berkshire pigs originated, and the genetic detachment of the Landrace from the Mangalitsa breeds were revealed. The cluster analysis showed a genetic consolidation of the Black-and-White, the Berkshire, and the Mangalitsa pigs. Additionally, the imported breeds with clustering depending on the origin were characterised by a genetic structure different from that of the other breeds. The information obtained from these studies can serve as a guide for the management and breeding strategies of the pig breeds studied, to allow their better use and conservation.