Genetic diversity in Swiss cattle breeds

The estimation of the generic diversity in Sa iss cattle breeds was based on the analysis of 30 microsatellites. DNA from a total of 215 randomly chosen animals belonging to five breeds (Holstein, Original Swiss Brown, Simmental, Herens and Evolenard) tvas investigated. The overall heterozygosity of the whole population amounted to 0.70. The average expected heterozygosity within breeds ranged from 0.60 in Simmental to 0.69 in Holstein. All breeds except the Herens were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The loci ETH152 and TGLA227 in Herens deviated significantly from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. A very close kinship between the Herens and the Evolenard was made evident by the very low value of the generic distance Dc the phylogenetic trees and the very close position in the principal component analysis. No other significant clustering was found. The Holstein slowed the largest values of genetic distances to the other reeds.