GENETIC DIVERSITY IN ALBANIAN SHEEP BREEDS ESTIMATED BY AFLP MARKERS

In this investigation Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP) markers have been used to assess genetic diversity and relationship among three local Albanian sheep breeds. A total of 93 unrelated individuals were analysed by three EcoRI/TaqI primer combination that produced 92 AFLP markers. Nei’s GST index was calculated to investigate the partition of diversity within and between breeds. The mean value of this index was 0.039, indicating that only 4% of the total genetic variation is due to between breeds differences, while 96% of the diversity is accounted by differences among individuals within breeds. The mean expected heterozygosity value for the whole population was 0.259, indicating that a high level of diversity is present in Albanian sheep compared to estimates in other regions. According to what indicated by the GST index, model-based clustering did not differentiate the breeds. The results obtained by AFLP data sets indicate high diversity in Albania but small genetic distances between breeds, confirming previous results obtained with microsatellites. These results reflect Albanian sheep management practices, which have facilitated a relevant gene flow between breeds. These results are useful to design proper breeding programs suited to conserve the genetic diversity presently existing in Albanian sheep.