Study of Genetic Variation of Captive Asiatic Golden Cat (Pardofelis temminckii) in Thailand Using Domestic Cat (Felis catus) Microsatellite Markers

Domestic cat (Felis catus) microsatellite markers were used to determine genetic diversity in 17 captive Asiatic golden cats (Pardofelis temminckii, syn. Catopuma temminckii). Allele numbers, genotype numbers, genetic diversity, heterozygosity, polymorphism information content (PIC) and inbreeding coefficient (f) were observed in each marker. The average values of genotype number, allele number, expected heterozygosity, observed heterozygosity, polymorphism information content (PIC) and inbreeding coefficient (f) were 6.12, 4.71, 0.70, 0.29, 0.65 and 0.62, respectively. These results revealed a reduction in the genetic diversity as shown by the lower value for the observed heterozygosity compared to the expected heterozygosity and the high value of the inbreeding coefficient. In conclusion, domestic cat microsatellite markers can be used to study captive Asiatic golden cat genetic diversity and to plan a breeding program for captive Asiatic golden cat for conservation.