Immunogenetic characteristics of sheep breeds of the Siberian-Far Eastern region

Abstract

A comparative analysis of eight breeds of sheep (medium-wool, coarse-wooled, semifine-wool and fine-wool) bred in the Siberian-Far Eastern region was carried out. The research used the data on immunogenetic testing of sheep in breeding farms for a number of years. The testing was performed using 14 specific sera – reagents. The allelic profile of sheep, their similarities and differences related to phylogeny and previous selection were studied. All breeds studied had a distinctive allelic profile. Both frequent and infrequent antigens were identified in each breed. Based on antigen frequencies, an index of genetic similarity (r) was calculated, which was higher in the breeds of the same productivity direction, e.g. between Buubei and Edilbaevskaya breeds (r = 0.912), and lower between the breeds that were selected in isolation from each other. The lowest index of genetic similarity was found between the Buryat and West Siberian meat breeds (r = 0.707). Breeds of the same productivity direction from different regions also have distinctive features. The index of genetic similarity between coarse-wooled breeds (Buubei and Edilbaevskaya) is 0.912; between medium-wool breeds (Buryat and Aginskaya) it is at the level of 0.739; between semifine-wool breeds (Gorno Altai and West Siberian meat breeds) – 0.845; between fine-wool breeds (Kulunda and Zabaikalskaya) – 0.902. Using the cluster analysis of genetic distances, the relationships of breeds, their origin, and phylogeny were determined. West Siberian Meat and Kulunda breeds formed one cluster, Buubei and Buryat breeds were also included in one cluster. More distant breeds were Aginskaya (Zugalai type) and Edilbaevskaya.