Current situation of the main sheep breeds raised in the State of São Paulo regarding genetic variability and resistance to Scrapie

Abstract

Conservation of genetic variability is one of the main goals of genetics applied to livestock. The characterization and sustainable use of genetic resources have been of great interest worldwide due to loss of genetic diversity that has occurred mainly by replacement of races and/or adapted populations by more productive breeds. In this sense, this project is part of the BIOVIS program (Ibero-American Sheep Breed Biodiversity Project), coordinated by the Red de Conservación de la Biodiversidad de los Animales Domésticos - CONBIAND (http://www.uco.es/conbiand/ Bienvenida.html), an international association of scientific cooperation. This study aims to characterize the genetic structure of native populations of Morada Nova and Santa Inês breeds, as well as the three main races explored in the State of São Paulo for meat production (Dorper, White Dorper and Suffolk) using microsatellite markers, mitochondrial DNA and SNP on the Y chromosome, aiming to contribute to the international program BIOVIS and deepen the knowledge of these genetic groups explored in the State of São Paulo.This study also proposes to investigate the polymorphism of the gene encoding the prion protein (PrP) that is associated with the risk of the animal to develop scrapie. Knowing the current resistance/susceptibility of sheep flock in the State of São Paulo is strategic, especially by the introduction of different sheep breeds in our herd. The genotyping of animals for the PrP gene will certainly indicate the degree of development of resistance to scrapie in flocks of sheeps raised in the State of São Paulo. (AU)