Genetic specificity of the white-headed ukrainian breed according to the BоLA-DRB3 gene

The study of the genetic specificity of local breeds is a promising direction in the context of preserving the biodiversity of cattle breeds in the world. The purpose of research was to analyze the allelic polymorphism of the BoLA-DRB3 gene of the White-Headed Ukrainian breed. The study was carried out with blood samples from 49 animals (11 bulls and 38 cows) of this breed. The allelic spectrum of the BoLA-DRB3 gene was detected based on two-step PCR (primers HLO-30, HLO-31 and HLO-32). Restriction was performed with endonucleases RsaI, HaeIII, BstYI. Restriction fragments were separated by electrophoresis in 9-12 % polyacrylamide gel. According to the test results, 29 alleles were detected. Seven alleles (*03, *11, *13, *15, *22, *23 and *24) were determined with a frequency of over 5 %, that was 65.3 % of the allele pool of the breed. The most common was allele *24 with a frequency of 15.3%. In the experimental sample, 37 genotypes were identified. The predominant variant was *11/*24 (16.2%). A slight excess of heterozygotes was detected (Fis = – 0.035). White-Headed Ukrainian breed is characterized by a significant level of differentiation (or specificity) according to the BoLA-DRB3 gene (Wright fixation index He = 0.959, Shannon-Wiener index H` = 2.93), that confirms the thesis of the important role of local breeds in preserving the biodiversity of genetic resources of cattle.