Genetic variability in production performance of Murrah buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis) using microsatellite polymorphism

Sequence specific primers for microsattelite ETH131 from cattle were used to polymerise DNA using buffaloes' genomic DNA as the template. In light of the reported sequence similarity of 78-95% between cattle and buffalo, this anonymous repeat sequence, isolated from cattle cDNA library and associated to milk, was analysed in Murrah buffaloes. The extent of polymorphism revealed in buffaloes was less than that previously reported in cattle, in terms of number of alleles. Cluster analysis performed on the basis of sharing of specific lengths of repeated nucleotides (NTSysPC) showed DNA similarities of the order of over 91% in animals of alike performance as per production data records. A 17% DNA dissimilarity was observed in buffalo's DNA band length patterns of low and high production sub-groups in this study. Attempts have been made to associate the distinctive amplification profile identified genotypic variation with the high and low milk producing Murrah buffaloes. Inferences suggest that ETH131 amplification mediated genotyping has scope of differentiating characteristics of individual animals and utilization of this genomic sequence for early selection of better performing buffaloes.