Selection of polymorphic DNA-markers based on retrotransposons for the control of genetic structures of the Karachai horse

The biodiversity reduction and the rapid disappearance of autochthonous farm animal breeds pose a real threat to the development of agriculture on a global scale. This is of particular importance in connection with climate change, an increase of anthropogenic pressure, and the accumulation of genotoxic human waste. The need to study the genetic resources of autochthonous breeds, as a rule, reproduced in areas of risky animal husbandry, is due not only to the tasks of their conservation, but also to study the mechanism of molecular genetic bases of adaptation to adverse environmental factors (in particular, in mammals).

The aim of the work is to select DNA markers characterized by high polymorphism and easily accessible enough for polylocus genotyping in the Karachai horse breed, characterized by high adaptation to mountain hypoxia.

Polymorphism of fragments of horse genomic DNA flanked by inverted sections of long terminal repeats of four endogenous retroviruses: SIRE-1, PawS5, BERV k-1 and BERV β-3 was evaluated as DNA markers.As a result of the research, data were obtained that the most polymorphic sections of the genomic DNA of the Karachai horse are short fragments flanked by inverted repeats of SIRE-1 and BERV β-3, which can be used to identify the intrabreed diversity of the genetic structure of the Karachai horse..

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