Genetic diversity and population genetic structure of six dromedary camel (camelus dromedarius) populations in Saudi Arabia |
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Institution: | 1. Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia;2. Department of Animal Production, College of Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia;3. Department of Plant Protection, College of Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia |
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Abstract: | Camels are an integral and essential component of the Saudi Arabian heritage. The genetic diversity and population genetic structure of dromedary camels are poorly documented in Saudi Arabia so this study was carried out to investigate the genetic diversity of both local and exotic camel breeds. The genetic diversity was evaluated within and among camel populations using 21 microsatellite loci. Hair and blood samples were collected from 296 unrelated animals representing 4 different local breeds, namely Majaheem (MG), Maghateer (MJ), Sofr (SO), and Shaul (SH), and two exotic breeds namely Sawahli (SL) and Somali (SU). Nineteen out of 21 microsatellite loci generated multi-locus fingerprints for the studied camel individuals, with an average of 13.3 alleles per locus. Based on the genetic analyses, the camels were divided into two groups: one contained the Saudi indigenous populations (MG, MJ, SH and SO) and the other contained the non-Saudi ones (SU and SL). There was very little gene flow occurring between the two groups. The African origin of SU and SL breeds may explain their close genetic relationship. It is anticipated that the genetic diversity assessment is important to preserve local camel genetic resources and develop future breeding programs to improve camel productivity. |
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Keywords: | Breeding programs Gene flow Microsatellite Population structure Saudi Arabia |
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