Molecular characterization of indigenous cattle breeds by randomly amplified polymorphic DNA fingerprinting

The study was carried out in Tharparkar, Hariana and Red Sindhi cattle maintained at several herds in India. The animals were characterized using randomly amplified polymorphic DNA fingerprinting using short oligonucleotide primers. All the primers showed polymorphic pattern under study. The intrabreed similarity was highest (0.86 +/- 0.04) in Red Sindhi population followed by Tharparkar (0.76 +/- 0.02) and Hariana (0.75 +/- 0.04). But, interbreed similarity was highest between Tharparkar and Hariana (0.68 +/- 0.04) followed by Red Sindhi-Tharparkar (0.66 +/- 0.03) and Hariana-Red Sindhi (0.62 +/- 0.04). Another approach for identifying breed differences are average percentage difference which was highest between Red Sindhi-Hariana (37.39 +/- 3.31) followed by Red Sindhi-Tharparkar (34.11 +/- 3.35) and Hariana-Tharparkar (33.31 +/- 3.38). Thus, RAPD not only explains intrabreed variation but interbreed difference too.