Comparison of Greek breeds of horses using RAPD markers

Abstract

To assess genetic markers able to distinguish between five Greek breeds of horses, the random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) technique was used. A total of 40 primers were initially screened in all breeds to identify primers that consistently revealed well-amplified, polymorphic bands. Despite the variability that was found within breeds, no specific RAPD marker for the discrimination of the breeds was detected. This is probably due to the extensive cross breeding that has taken place over the years, resulting in a mixing of breeds. The high phenotypic divergence of the pony of Skyros from all the other Greek breeds of horses could be explained in terms of micro-evolutionary processes, such as natural selection owing to differential fitness. In addition, to determine the genetic affinities between breeds, all samples were screened with five primers. These primers produced a total of 93 bands, 51 of which were polymorphic. Data analysis for genetic polymorphism revealed a degree of divergence between breeds. According to the discriminant analysis (DA) classification, 100% of the individuals examined in this study could be classified correctly into their breeds. The results of this study show that RAPDs could be a powerful tool for the classification testing of individual horses, as well as for the determination of the genetic variation found among breeds, which is important for a proper management policy designed to protect this species.