GENETIC DIVERSITY OF BELA KRAJINA PRAMENKA COMPARED TO THREE CROATIAN SHEEP BREEDS - A PRELIMINARY STUDY

In the Balkan Peninsula, different populations of Pramenka were the most common sheep breed. Due to different ecosystems and climate environment, these subpopulations have evolved genetic differences. The largest influence on the local genotype of Bela Krajina Pramenka in Slovenia based on the literature data could have Lika Pramenka from the neighbouring Croatia and some other Pramenka breeds from Bosnia and Herzegovina. Herein, genetic diversity within Slovenian Bela Krajina Pramenka sheep (BP) compared to three Croatian breeds, Cres island sheep (CRE), Lika Pramenka sheep (LIK), and Istrian Pramenka (IST) was studied using ten microsatellite markers. Bela Krajina Pramenka had relatively high genetic diversity shown by the mean number of alleles per microsatellite locus (7.20 +/- 2.04) and expected heterozygosity (0.72 +/- 0.03). The delta K method reviled four clusters as the most appropriate fit. The STRUCTURE software formed four unique distinct clusters equal to the actual number of analysed populations. Therefore, Bela Krajina Pramenka was found to be an authentic breed based on ten microsatellite markers and compared to three geographically closest sheep breeds. Some admixture among the included populations was found as well.