San Miguel National Park Criollo Bovine Genetic Reserve. I. Genetic analysis of bulls with microsatellites

Paper presented at the III Ibero-American Symposium on the Conservation of Local Animal Genetic Resources and Sustainable Rural Development

Abstract

The genetic reserve of Uruguayan Creole cattle consists of around 600 bovines, considering bull, cows and calves. These animals live in indigenous, habitat of 650 Hectares of extension. In random samples, a high genetic heterozygocity and HW equilibrium between molecular markers of major genes related to milk production was previously demonstrated. In this communication a stratificated study of genetic diversity is begun with a sample of bulls of reproductive age (N=19/23). DNAs, stored in the Uruguayan Creole cattle genomic bank, were analised with a kit of 17 microsatellites (MS), processed with the PCR methodology and run in a polyacrilamide gel (6%) using an automatic sequencer (ABI373A). Between 2 and 7 different alleles were identified per MS, in a total of 73 alleles, and in the majority, the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium was demonstrated (p 0,05). The expected heterozygocity per locus was between 0.46-0.80, except for the locus HEL13 (He=0.29). The expected mean heterocygocity was 0.62 (p 0.50). The genetic diversity found in polymorphic nucleotide sequences in the reproductive males category sustain previous genetic analysis in major production genes, and both studies may give a genomic support for future experiences of interest in cattle production.