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Mitochondrial DNA diversity, origin, and phylogenic relationships of three Chinese large-fat-tailed sheep breeds

Tropical Animal Health and Production volume 43, Article number: 1405 (2011) Cite this article

Abstract

China is abundant of sheep genetic resources. A total of 55 sequences containing the Ovis aries mtDNA D-loop of three large-fat-tailed sheep breeds, named Lanzhou, Tong, and Han were retrieved from GenBank to investigate their genetic diversity, origin, and phylogenetic evolution. The results showed that the sheep breeds in our study proved to be extremely diverse, the average haplotype diversity and nucleotide diversity were 0.987 ± 0.006 and 0.03956 ± 0.00206, respectively. The 55 sequences gave 39 different haplotypes. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that there were three distinct mtDNA haplogroups: A, B, and C, in which haplogroup A was predominant and had experienced population expansion events. Clustering analysis showed that the large-fat-tailed sheep breeds clustered into one group and were closely related to the Mongolian sheep and then European mouflon sheep (Ovis musimon). The results contribute to the knowledge of Chinese sheep breeds and the plan of conservation programs on large-fat-tailed sheep.

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Abbreviations

MEGA:

Molecular evolutionary genetics analysis

mtDNA:

Mitochondrial DNA

UPGMA:

Unweighted pair-group method using arithmetic averages

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to all colleagues who provided their sequence data as a computer file and gave additional information for this publication. We also thank Dr. André Martinho de Almeida (IICT—Centro de Veterinária e Zootecnia and CIISA—Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação em Sanidade Animal, FMV, Rua Prof. Cid dos Santos; 1300–477 Lisboa, Portugal) for his kindly encouragement, the anonymous reviewers for their constructive and professional comments.

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Affiliations

  1. College of Animal Science and Technology, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Forage and Herbivore, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing, 400716, China

    Yongju Zhao, Erhu Zhao, Nanyang Zhang & Chaowei Duan

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  1. Yongju Zhao
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  2. Erhu Zhao
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  3. Nanyang Zhang
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  4. Chaowei Duan
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Correspondence to Yongju Zhao.

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Zhao, Y., Zhao, E., Zhang, N. et al. Mitochondrial DNA diversity, origin, and phylogenic relationships of three Chinese large-fat-tailed sheep breeds. Trop Anim Health Prod 43, 1405 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-011-9869-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-011-9869-2

Keywords

  • Haplotypes
  • Origin
  • Ovis aries
  • Population expansions
  • Mitochondrial DNA