Screening for Booroola (FecB) and Galway (FecXG) mutations in Indian sheep

This study reports the status of the Booroola (FecB) and Galway (FecXG) mutations in Indian sheep breeds. The Kendrapada sheep (n = 46) was genotyped for the presence of FecB and FecXG mutations, while the Garole (n = 34), Malpura (n = 30), and Decanni sheep (n = 15) for the FecXG mutation. The FecB and FecXG genotyping was carried out by forced restriction fragment length polymorphism PCR technique. In the present study, FecB mutation was discovered in the Kendrapada sheep of Orissa, which is now the second prolific sheep of India after the Garole. Out of 46 individuals of Kendrapada sheep, 26 were homozygous (BB), 15 heterozygous (B+) and 5 non-carriers (++) for the FecB mutation. The frequency of the FecB allele in this sample was about 0.73. Results indicated that the frequency of the FecB mutation is high, but the gene is not fixed in the population as reported in Garole sheep. None of sheep breeds carried the FecXG mutation. The discovery of the FecB mutation in Kendrapada sheep will facilitate the use of FecB allele in improving the prolificacy of non-prolific sheep breeds of India.