| Popis: |
Development of vast varieties of high yielding commercial poultry germplasm could possibly be due to rapid selection and controlled breeding. However, their maximum genetic production potential has not been achieved so far. Present study was conducted to analyse polymorphisms in egg- production associated microsatellite markers in sampled population of the selected strain of Rhode Island Red (RIR) chicken and to determine the association between various genotypes of polymorphic markers and layer production traits. One hundred and eleven pullets belonging to five hatches, maintained at institute’s farm, were used and data on body weight at 20 weeks of age (BW20) and layer economic traits (Age at sexual maturity (ASM), egg weight at 28 and 40 weeks of age (EW28, EW40) and egg production up to 40 weeks of age (EP40)) were analysed by least squares analysis of variance taking sire as random and hatch as fixed effects. Average ASM and EP40 were 135.19±1.15 days and 124.55±1.94 eggs, respectively. The BW20 revealed low, but positive genetic as well as phenotypic correlations with EP40 thereby suggesting its usefulness as selection criterion for genetic improvement of egg production. All egg production-associated microsatellite loci revealed polymorphism and exhibited prevalence of heterozygosity. The studied population demonstrated Hardy-Weinberg disequilibrium. Genotypes at two microsatellite loci ADL0023 and ADL0273 demonstrated significant effects on layer economic traits suggesting usefulness of microsatellite markers polymorphism in marker-assisted selection for genetic improvement of egg-production associated gene in chicken. |
