Abstract :
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.
