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Genetic Diversity in Five Iranian Native Chicken Populations Estimated by Microsatellite Markers

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Iranian chicken genetic resources are characterized by a long history and a vast diversity. This study represents the first results from the selection and evaluation of five polymorphic microsatellite markers for the genetic assessment of five native chicken populations located in the northwestern (West Azerbaijan), northern (Mazandaran), central (Isfahan, Yazd), and southern (Fars) provinces of Iran. The number of alleles ranged from three to six per microsatellite locus. All populations were characterized by a high degree of genetic diversity, with the lowest heterozygosity found in the Isfahan population (62%) and the greatest in the populations from West Azerbaijan and Mazandaran (79%). The largest Nei’s unbiased genetic distance was found between the Isfahan and Fars populations (0.696) and the smallest between the Mazandaran and Yazd populations (0.097). The Isfahan population was found to be the most genetically distant among all populations studied. These results serve as an initial step in the plan for genetic characterization and conservation of Iranian native chickens.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors would like to thank the West Azerbaijan, Isfahan, Fars, Mazandaran, and Yazd research centers for animal science and native chicken resources for providing blood samples. Elio Corti, Irina G. Moiseyeva, and Leona G. Chemnick are acknowledged for reading the manuscript and furnishing valuable suggestions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Education Division, Iranian Academic Centre for Education, Culture and Research (ACECR), P.O. Box 56135-696, Ardabil, Iran

    Saleh Shahbazi

  2. Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Gilan, P.O. Box 3179, Rasht, Iran

    Seyed Z. Mirhosseini

  3. Genetics Division, Conservation and Research for Endangered Species, Zoological Society of San Diego, Arnold and Mabel Beckman Center for Conservation Research, 15600 San Pasqual Valley Road, Escondido, CA, 92027-7000, USA

    Michael N. Romanov

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  1. Saleh Shahbazi
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Shahbazi, S., Mirhosseini, S.Z. & Romanov, M.N. Genetic Diversity in Five Iranian Native Chicken Populations Estimated by Microsatellite Markers. Biochem Genet 45, 63–75 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10528-006-9058-6

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