Comparative Microsatellite Analysis of Zeboid Cattle with Breeds of Bos taurus

Comparative genotyping of a population of zeboid cattle (Bos taurus × Bos indicus) and eight populations of B. taurus breeds, including six domestic breeds (the Kholmogory, Yaroslavl, Red Gorbatov, Kostroma, Tagil, and Gray Ukrainian) and two transboundary European breeds (Holstein and Brown Swiss), has been conducted using 14 STR markers (BM1824, BM2113, CSRM60, CSSM66, ETH3, ETH10, ETH225, ILSTS006, INRA023, SPS115, TGLA53, TGLA122, TGLA126, and TGLA227). A total of 562 individuals were examined. On the basis of the results of the STR analysis, it was found that all population samples of B. taurus were characterized by an average allelic richness A_R = 4.87–6.7 and a fairly high level of genetic variability H_E = 0.69–0.76 with a slight predominance of random matings F_IS = –0.1–0.0. In zeboid cattle, the corresponding indicators were A_R = 5.96, H_E = 0.72, and F_IS = –0.0278. At the same time, differences in the genetic structure of the B. taurus breeds under consideration were largely determined by population demographic fluctuations, and the genetic and the phenotypic heterogeneity detected in the population of zeboid cattle were determined by a decrease in the effect of artificial selection.