GENETIC VARIATION AND RELATIONSHIPS AMONG VISAYAN NATIVE CHICKEN GENETIC GROUPS BOHOLANO AND DARAG (Gallus gallus L.)

Abstract

The present study was conducted to evaluate the genetic diversity and relationships of two Visayan native chicken genetic groups (Boholano and Darag), the native chicken (Labuyo) and commercial breed layer chicken (Lohman). Thirteen microsatellite or simple sequence repeats (SSR) markers were used covering 8 linkage groups or chromosomes. Four to eight alleles per locus were detected across all the breeds. The highest PIC value (0.773) was detected in primer ADL0268 and the average across primers was 0.6114. The mean number of alleles per locus (MNA), the observed heterozygosity (Ho), expected heterozygosity (He) and the inbreeding coe cient (FIS) were obtained for the Boholano (5.08, 0.6859, 0.6433, and -0.0998 respectively), the Darag (5.61, 0.6667, 0.6646, and -0.0225 respectively), the Labuyo (4.46,0.5944, 0.6486, and 0.0711 respectively) and the Lohman (2.46, 0.5, 0.3943, and 0.0258 respectively). The degree of genetic distance of the Boholano was moderate from Darag but great from Labuyo; but close between Darag and Labuyo. These indicate that the Darag, but not the Boholano, may have originated from the Labuyo. The high MNA, Ho, He, negative inbreeding coe cient and high interpopulation genetic di erentiation (FST) [D1] values between genetic groups shows the richness of our native chicken genetic resource in Bohol and Panay Islands.”