Genetic Diversity of Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) Population in South Eastern Nigeria Using Microsatellite Markers

A study was conducted to estimate the diversity that exists among three rabbit populations adapted South-Eastern part of Nigeria. Blood samples were collected from 75 matured, mixed-sex, and unrelated breeds selected across zone. Eight microsatellites (Sol30, Sol33, Sol44, Sat3, Sat7, Sat8, Sat12, INRA) markers used for study. These uniformly distributed genomes genotyping. Subsequently, genetic variability within between calculated. Allelic frequencies Hardy-Weinberg equilibriums as well Analysis Molecular Variance, also estimated using GenAlEX 6.41 software. Discriminant Principal Components (DAPC) population structure performed in R v.3.5.0 package adegenet. All 8 loci amplified this found be 100% polymorphic, observed allele sizes their microsatellite every showed highest frequency 0.330 with size 470bp at Sol33 locus New Zealand White (NZW) rabbits. The Nei’s identities distances Chinchilla (CHI) Dutch (DUT), CHI NZW, DUT NZW obtained [0.173, 0.185, 0.189] [1.753, 1.689, 1.666] respectively. dendrogram biplot revealed identified two separate clusters. In addition, admixture level an individual indicated not pure existence more polymorphism breed than diversity.