Genetic Diversity of Kazakhstani Equus caballus (Linnaeus, 1758) Horse Breeds Inferred from Microsatellite Markers

Orazymbetova Z. Ualiyeva D. Dossybayev K. Torekhanov A. Sydykov D. Mussayeva A. Baktybayev G.
October 2023 Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)

Veterinary Sciences
2023 #10 Issue 10

Understanding the genetic diversity and structure of domesticated horse (Equus caballus) populations is critical for long-term herd management and breeding programs. This study examines 435 horses from Kazakhstan, covering seven groups in three geographic areas using 11 STR markers. Identified are 136 alleles, with the mean number of alleles per locus ranging from 9 to 19. VHL20 is the most variable locus across groups, while loci HTG4, AHT4, AHT5, HTG7, and HMS3 are variable in most populations. The locus AHT5 in the Emba population shows the highest frequency of rare alleles, while the lowest frequency, 0.005, is observed in the Kulandy population. All loci were highly informative for the Kazakhstani populations of E. caballus, with PIC values higher than 0.5. Pairwise variations in Wright’s F_ST distances show that the examined varieties have little genetic differentiation (0.05%), indicating a high degree of admixture and a continuing lineage sorting process. Phylogenetic and population structure analyses reveal three major clusters of Kazakh horses, representing (I) the Uralsk population of the Kushum breed and the monophyly of two groups: (II) the Kozhamberdy population of the Mugalzhar breed, and (III) the Mugalzhar–Kushum breed populations. Kazakhstani horse populations, while being regionally isolated, were recently in contact with each other.

domesticated horse , genetic differentiation , population structure , STR loci

Text of the article Перейти на текст статьи

Kazakh Research Institute of Livestock and Fodder Production, Almaty, 050035, Kazakhstan
Institute of Genetics and Physiology, Committee of Science of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Almaty, 050060, Kazakhstan
Institute of Zoology, Committee of Science of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Almaty, 050060, Kazakhstan
Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, 610041, China

Kazakh Research Institute of Livestock and Fodder Production
Institute of Genetics and Physiology
Institute of Zoology
Chengdu Institute of Biology

10 лет помогаем публиковать статьи Международный издатель

Книга Публикация научной статьи Волощук 2026 Book Publication of a scientific article 2026