Genetic Diversity of Indigenous Sahelian Goat Populations in Mali Using Microsatellite Markers

The Genetic characterization of indigenous breeds of small ruminants in Mali, particularly goats, was limited 18 years ago, and this situation persists due to a lack of economic, technical, and human resources. This study was conducted with the aim of determining the genetic diversity of Sahelian goats in smallholder farming communities in Mali. In total, 80 samples, divided into five sub-populations from the localities of Kayes, Baraoueli, Ségou, Bla, and San, were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using 18 microsatellite markers. Twelve (12) markers proved to be polymorphic, with a polymorphism rate of 66.66%. The markers ILSTS87, INRA132, ILSTS005, SRCRSP5, SRCRSP7, and BM6506 were found to be monomorphic (constant) in all animals in this study. A total of 32 genotypes were identified. Polymorphism Information Content (PIC) ranged from 0.07 to 0.49 for the MAF209 and MAF65 markers, respectively. MAF65 had the highest PIC and genetic diversity. For the goat population as a whole, the expected heterozygosity (He) was 0.311±0.02 with an observed heterozygosity (Ho) of 0.518±0.04. The San and Ségou subpopulations had the lowest polymorphism rate (61.11%). Principal coordinate analysis of genetic data showed that animals from the same locality have more genetic similarities with each other than with animals from other localities. The present results will guide decision-makers in choosing future management approaches to improve the productivity and profitability of Sahelian goats in order to encourage farmers to preserve this breed.