[Genetic relationships among seven sheep populations using four microsatellite markers].

The genetic polymorphisms of four microsatellite loci BM143, OarHH35, OarAE101, and BMS2508 were analyzed in 286 sheep of seven sheep populations (Small Tail Han sheep, Hu sheep, Ujumqin sheep, Suffolk sheep, Dorset sheep, Charolais sheep, F1 of Dorset male x Small Tail Han female sheep). The numbers of alleles for BM143, OarHH35, OarAE101, and BMS2508 are 9, 11, 14 and 9 in seven sheep populations, respectively. The polymorphism information content/number of effective alleles/ heterozygosity of BM143, OarHH35, OarAE101 and BMS2508 were 0.7073/3.7231/0.7314, 0.8267/6.4399/0.8447, 0.5743/2.5178/0.6028, 0.6172/3.0712/0.6744 in 286 sheep, respectively. The results revealed the greatest genetic variation at OarHH35 locus and the lowest at OarAE101, the greatest genetic variation in Small Tail Han sheep and the lowest in Hu sheep among seven sheep populations. In the unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) dendrograms based on Nei's D(A) distance and Nei's D(S) standard genetic distance, the Chinese native breeds (Small Tail Han sheep, Ujumqin sheep, Hu sheep) were grouped together, then with Charolais sheep. The F1 crossbred sheep, and the two British native sheep (Suffolk sheep, Dorset sheep) also clustered together. Microsatellite genotyping in sheep provided a useful tool for examining the genetic relationships among breeds (populations).