Вариабельность последовательности D-петли митохондриальной ДНК у лошадей забайкальской породы

Area of Science:

• Animal Genetics
• Zoology
• Molecular Biology

Background:

• The Zabaikalskaya horse is an indigenous Siberian breed known for endurance and adaptability.
• This breed thrives in the challenging Baikal steppe environment under year-round herd maintenance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the genetic characteristics of the Zabaikalskaya horse breed's maternal lineage.
• To analyze mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) polymorphisms for breed characterization.

Main Methods:

• Hair samples were collected from 31 Zabaikalskaya horses.
• The mtDNA D-loop region (530 bp) was sequenced and analyzed.
• Phylogenetic analysis used the maximum composite likelihood (MCL) model with bootstrap analysis.

Main Results:

• Thirty-one distinct haplotypes belonging to 8 haplogroups (B, C, G, H, L, M, Q, R) were identified.
• Seventeen polymorphic sites were found in the sequenced D-loop fragment, primarily A→G, G→A, and T→C transitions.
• Haplogroups Q (25.81%), B (19.35%), G (16.13%), and H (12.90%) were the most prevalent.

Conclusions:

• The Zabaikalskaya horse breed displays a high level of genetic diversity in its mitochondrial DNA.
• This genetic diversity is comparable to other Eurasian horse populations, reflecting its unique evolutionary history.