The Level Of Genetic Differentiation Among Five Native Buffalo Populations In Middle-eastern China

Using the method of " random sampling in typical colonies of the central area of the habitat ", the genetic variations within and relationships among populations of Chinese buffalo breeds (Xiajiang Haizi Xilin Enshi Jianghan Nili-lafei) were examined, and the genetic differentiation was explored. Nili-lafei was treated as a control sample. The results: (1) Genetic diversity on the 11 microsatellite loci was examined in both five populations and the control population, the total number of alleles was 174, and each of the 28 particular alleles was found in different population. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 8 to 37, and the mean number of alleles per locus was 15.5455. The mean number of alleles per breed ranged from 6 to 8.9091. (2)The mean PIC(polymorphic information contents)of 11 microsatellite loci in 6 populations were separately 0.5160, 0.6495, 0.6425, 0.6538, 0.6437 and 0.6675 ; The mean heterozygosity was 0.5109, 0.6593, 0.5712, 0.6799, 0.6125 and 0.6214, respectively; the numbers of mean effective alleles in every locus ranged from 2.7384 to 8.1425. (3)The gene diversity of total populations at all microsatellite loci was 0.782; the gene diversity in every population at all microsatellite loci was 0.707; The coefficient of gene differentiation was 0.096. (4) Using the method of "the classic cluster ", Xiajiang and Jinghan were clustered first, the third one was Enshi ,and thenthe breeds clustered were Xinlin-. Haiz and Nili-lafei, sequencely . The relationships between buffalo populations were not closely related to the distances between buffalo populations. (5)The result using the method "the fuzzy cluster "and that of "the analysis of principal component values (PCA)" was consistent. Jianghan and Enshi were clustered first, the third one was Xiajiang, and then the breeds clustered were Haizi Xilin and Nili-lafei, sequencely .The relationships between buffalo populations were closely related to the geographical distances between buffalo populations. The results based on fuzzy cluster and the PCA were different from that based on classic cluster, which deserved further intensive research.