Genetic polymorphisms in Iranian native poultry breeds Part I. Blood groups and allele frequencies

Abstract

Blood samples were collected from five indigenous Iranian chicken breeds maintained as genetic reserve: Naked Neck, Dashtyary, Lary, Marandy and Common breed. Three blood group systems and 5 alleles were typed. A2, A6, B4, B7 and D4. Allele B7 was the most frequent in all the breeds (ranging from 0,24 to 0,31) the frequency of A2 was ranging 0,14 to 0,33, A6 0,14 to 0,26, B4 0,18 to 0,24 and D4 0,08 to 0,16. Based on these blood group alleles the heterozygosity index of the Iranian breeds are high (ranging 0.77-0.80), compared to the native breeds typed in Nepal and Bangladesh. The possibility and the accuracy to distinguish randomly chosen chickens from one breed to the other based on blood group alleles is possible with an accuracy of PD>0.90.