Genetic Diversity Analysis of Chinchilla and V-line Rabbit Strains Using RAPD Markers for Breeding Optimization

Document Type : Regular Articles

Authors

1 Department of Animal Behavior and Husbandry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Sohag University, Sohag 82524, Egypt.

2 Molecular genetics Lab., Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Sohag University, Sohag 82524, Egypt.

3 Department of Behavior and Management of Animals, Poultry and Aquatics, Assiut University, Assiut 71516, Egypt.

Abstract

This study explores the genetic diversity between the Chinchilla and V-line rabbit strains using Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers. A total of 45 bands were analyzed for the Chinchilla strain, while 74 bands were assessed for the V-line strain. Polymorphism metrics, including percentage polymorphism (% P), Polymorphic Information Content (PIC), Marker Index (MI), Diversity Index (DI), and Resolving Power (Rp), were evaluated to determine the extent of genetic variation within and between the strains. The V-line strain exhibited higher genetic diversity with 71.4% polymorphism and an average PIC of 0.57, compared to 66.7% polymorphism and a PIC of 0.52 in the Chinchilla strain. The V-line strain also had higher MI (5.81) and DI (0.71), indicating greater marker discriminatory power and potential for breeding optimization. The OPA02 marker was the most informative, with a PIC of 0.62. Cluster analysis using Unweighted Pair Group Method with Arithmetic Mean Algorithm (UPGMA) revealed clear genetic clustering according to the strains, with intra-strain variation higher in the V-line population. The cophenetic correlation coefficient (0.74) confirmed the reliability of the clustering, reflecting meaningful genetic similarities and differences. These results highlight the importance of genetic diversity in breeding programs and underscore the potential of the V-line strain for trait improvement through selective breeding. Both strains remain valuable for breeding strategies focused on production traits and genetic conservation, with RAPD markers serving as effective tools for genetic characterization.

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