Mitochondrial D-loop sequences reveal a mixture of endemism and immigration in Egyptian goat populations

Abstract

The mitochondrial D-loop region was used to investigate genetic diversity within and between populations of Egyptian goats, to elucidate processes that explain present patterns of diversity and differentiation and to characterize Egyptian goats relative to international breeds. A total of 120 animals from six populations were sampled. Results confirm the main trend from previous studies of mtDNA diversity in goats, with high levels of diversity within populations, but with a comparative lack of genetic structure supporting geographic distribution. Haplotype diversity varied in a narrow range whereas nucleotide diversity values were more informative in showing differences between populations. The majority of goats analyzed (93.2%) displayed haplotypes that group with Haplogroup A, the most common type found in global goat populations. The remaining animals grouped with the less common Haplogroup G. Population differentiation analysis showed some uniqueness in the Aswan and Sharkawi populations from the South and East of Egypt. Overall, the structure of the Egyptian goat population is characterized by a high degree of homogeneity among populations from the north-western coastal region, the Nile Delta and the upper and middle regions of the Nile valley, but with possible introgression of rarer haplotypes into populations at the southern and eastern extremities of the country.

Keywords:

• Biodiversity
• Egyptian goat populations
• Haplogroup
• mtDNA
• sequences

Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge Professor Paul J. Boettcher (Animal Production and Health Division, Agriculture and Consumer Protection Department, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, Italy) for his continued support of this project.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Funding information

This work was supported by the Science and Technology Development Fund (STDF project ID: 6115, Egypt) for the financial support of the molecular study and the scholar grant to National Zoological Gardens of South Africa (NZG) and Department of Genetics, University of the Free State. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) also provided financial support for sample collection.