Molecular characterization of Mahabubnagar goats based on microsatellite markers

Genetic variation at 15 microsatellite loci was examined in Mahabubnagar goats which are distributed widely in the southern part of Telangana. The observed number of alleles varied from 5 (SRCRSP5) to 13 (SRCRSP15) with an average value of 8.800 whereas the effective number of alleles varied from 4.429 (SRCRSP5) to 11.250 (SRCRSP15) with the overall mean of 7.711. The average observed and expected heterozygosity values were 0.694 and 0.864, respectively. The overall mean PIC observed was 0.845 indicating higher polymorphism in these goats. The inbreeding estimate showed mild to moderate level of inbreeding with FIS value of 0.196. Out of the 15 amplified loci, nine loci deviated significantly from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The high level of genetic variability, however, suggested the scope for further genetic improvement of Mahabubnagar goats.