Genetic diversity and validation of microsatellite markers for Jeju native horse parentage testing

This study was carried out to investigate a usefulness of the microsatellite DNA markers for individual identification and parentage verification in Jeju native horse (JNH) in Korea. 62 random JNH samples and 56 cross breed horse (JNH x Thoroughbred horse, CBH) samples were genotyped by using 16 international standard markers (AHT4, AHT5, ASB2, ASB17, CA425, HMS2, HMS3, HMS6, HMS7, HTG4, HTG6, HTG7, HTG10, LEX33, TKY321, and VHL20). The number of alleles per locus varied from 5 to 13 with a mean value of 8.31 in JNH, 5 to 12 with a mean of 7.88 in CBH. Observed heterozygosity was ranged 0.435-0.887 (mean 0.690) and 0.607-0.911 (mean 0.789), and expected heterozygosity was ranged 0.388-0.847 (mean 0.721) and 0.639-0.868 (mean 0.785) in JNH and CBH, respectively. PIC value was ranged 0.366-0.811 (mean 0.684) and 0.599-0.846 (mean 0.750) in JNH and CBH, respectively. Of the 16 markers, AHT4, AHT5, ASB2, ASB17, HMS2, HMS3, HTG10, LEX33, TKY321, VHL20 and AHT4, AHT5, ASB2, ASB17, HMS2, HMS3, HMS6, HMS7, HTG7, HTG10, LEX33, TKY321 and VHL20 loci have relatively high PIC value (> 0.7) in JNH and CBH, respectively. The exclusion probability was ranged 0.222-0.691 and 0.416-0.722, and the combination of 16 microsatellite loci was 0.9999 and 1.0000 in JNH and CBH, respectively. These results can give basic information for developing parentage verification and individual identification system in JNH.